


Golden Days | A Destiel Omegaverse Story

by deaniewithalittleweanie



Category: Supernatural
Genre: (no actual suicidal actions it's all good), Abuse, Alpha!Sam Winchester, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Denial, Destiel Omegaverse, John Winchester's A+ Parenting, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Miscarriage, Mpreg, Omega Dean Winchester, Omega auctioning, Omegaverse, Past Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Post Mpreg, References to Knotting, Suicidal Thoughts, a/b/o dynamics, alpha!Castiel, denying feelings, graphic birth, omega!dean
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-30
Updated: 2018-04-15
Packaged: 2018-05-26 21:56:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 14
Words: 62,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6257392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deaniewithalittleweanie/pseuds/deaniewithalittleweanie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean Winchester never had it easy. His dad never kept a job for longer than a month, so he was moved around all his life. The universe practically took a shit on him when he presented as an omega. Sold into an omega sex ring, he lost what little family he had, and hated life even more than he did before. It's not until years have passed and he's too broken to have a will to live that a kind soul finds him and brings him in. He's underfed, skittish, and scared of every little sound. Will he ever be the Dean that we all know and love again?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Here we go. This is my first try at Alpha/Beta/Omegaverse, but I've read so many a/b/o fics that I could teach a class on it. I appreciate all feedback, so don't be afraid to leave a comment. I love criticism, it helps me become a better writer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I hope you read the tags. This story (this chapter especially) is very graphic. Please read the tags and know what you're getting yourself into. This is my first attempt at omegaverse, but I've read so much of it, I could teach a class. I hope you enjoy part one of the prologue!

  
Dean opens his eyes only to shut them again. The smoke permeating the air makes his eyes water and burn. He starts to cough, clutching his chest. He pushes his blankets back and runs down the hall. He has to find his parents. They'll know what to do. He hears his baby brother crying in his crib from behind his closed bedroom door. He coughs and wheezes as he opens it. The smoke is just as bad in here, if not worse. He lifts the baby from the crib, covering his face with the blanket to try and keep the smoke off of him. He tries to scream out for his parents, but he just croaks and wheezes. He runs down the hallway to his parents’ bedroom. He throws the door open, shouting for his mom and dad. He hears his mother’s coughs from somewhere in the house. He looks around frantically, trying to find her. His baby brother starts to cough and Dean realizes that he has to get him out of the smoke. He walks down the stairs, the smoke getting thicker and hotter. He looks around in horror at their living room and kitchen being engulfed in flames. He feels strong arms wrap around him and pick him up. He recognizes the voice of his father as he carries him out of the burning house.

Dean gasps for fresh air as he’s set down in the grass. His father looks at him sternly and tells him to stay put. He nods and looks down at his brother again. He brushes ashes off of his blanket and pulls it off of his head, exposing him to the night air.  
“Shhh. It's okay, Sammy.” He whispers to him, cradling him against his chest. Dean looks back at the house, staring in fear as flames started licking up the sides of the house. He hears the crackling of wood, when suddenly, the entire roof caves in. He gasps in horror and steps back. “Where are mom and dad?” He thinks to himself. Fire truck sirens start to blare, and Dean turns to see the engine rolling up to the house. A firefighter runs towards him and picks him up, carrying him to the ambulance that has arrived. Paramedics jump out of the back doors and take Dean, setting him down on a stretcher. A female paramedic tries to take Sammy out of Dean’s arms, but he holds him close.

“Hey buddy, we’re just going to make sure you're baby brother’s alright, okay?” The paramedic says sweetly as she attempts to take Sam away again. Dean nods slowly and hands him to her. He rubs his throat and coughs. Another male paramedic walks up to Dean with a bottle of water and an oxygen mask. He instructs Dean to leave the mask on and breathe deeply and to take it off only to drink the water. Dean nods and lets him put the mask on and pull the strap over his head. Dean looks around for his parents again, and he sees firefighters helping his father across the yard. He pushes them away and runs to Dean, making sure he’s alright. He looks over at Sammy, who has stopped crying and is now sleeping in a paramedic’s arms.

“Thank god you boys are alright.” He croaks. A paramedic helps him sit on the stretcher next to Dean. He gives him a larger oxygen mask and another bottle of water. Dean taps his father’s arm a few times, looking up at him.

“Dad, where’s mom?” He asks, frowning. John swallows, not answering for a long time. Dean gulps and stares at his feet. Tears well up in his eyes and he sniffles. He expects his father to tell him to suck it up and stop crying. Instead, he wraps an arm around Dean and holds him close. Dean grips his dad’s jacket and cries into it. John cradles Sam in his other arm. He looks at both of his boys with a heavy heart. How was he supposed to raise them without Mary there to support him? He shuts his eyes and holds them close, vowing to take care of them as best as he can for the rest of his life.

~~~  
Ten Years Later

“Dean! Dean wake up!” Sam shakes his older brother’s shoulders. Dean is writhing in the bed, sweating profusely and panting. He opens his eyes and groans.  
“What's wrong? Dean? Are you okay?” Sam asks frantically. He looks around the small motel room, trying to find Dean’s cellphone. He spots it sitting on the bedside table. Sam jumps up from the bed and grabs it. His heart pounds in his chest as he dials his father’s number and paces the room anxiously, glancing at his older brother with worry.

“Dean?” John answers blankly. His voice is echoed off the insides of the car that he’s under. With a wrench in one hand and an grimy rag in the other, he holds the phone between his shoulder and ear.

“Dad, I-uh...I think Dean is presenting.” Sam gulped and looked back at Dean, who had just covered his head with a pillow.

“How would you know? Did he tell you?” John huffed, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the dirty rag.

“No, but he’s all sweaty and rolling around on the bed.” Sam spoke quickly, trying to avoid the awkward part of the conversation. John pauses for a long moment.

 

  
Meanwhile, Dean is curled around a pillow, trembling and near tears. Sam is sitting on the opposite bed, trying to ignore him. Dean told him to stay away and not to touch him, so Sam stays in his bed, watching sadly. He’s too young to fully understand what’s happening to Dean. Sam turned ten a few months ago. Dean threw him a small birthday party in a different motel room, celebrating the fact that Sam hit double digits. Sam looks up hopefully when the door opens. John storms by him towards Dean, picking him up. Dean tries to squirm away, but John holds him tightly.

“Dad? What are you doing?” Sam asks, starting to get up.

“Stay put, Sam. Don't move from that bed until I get back.” John snaps. Sam nods and pulls up his knees, hugging them to his chest. The ten year old cowers, biting his lip and looking at his older brother worriedly.

John lays Dean across the backseat of the impala and shuts the door, walking around to the driver’s seat. He thanks whatever God there may be that he’s on suppressants that render him unable to scent Dean’s heat. He stares straight ahead at the road, white-knuckling the steering wheel. Is he really about to do this? No, he has to. Dean will be safer there, won’t he? Sam will have a place to call home, and John can finally have a steady job. This is worth the sacrifice he has to make.

He pulls the impala back into the parking lot and spots Alastair, watching and waiting for him. He swallows hard and pulls into his spot. He steps out of the car, watching as Alastair walks up to the window of the car and peeks in at Dean.  
“He’ll have an alpha taking care of him in no time.” Alastair smirks up at John. He clenches his jaw and opens the door.

“Come on out, Dean.” He says sharply. Dean slowly crawls out of the car, trembling all over, tears running down his cheeks. John can't bear to look at him. Alastair takes Dean’s wrist roughly and pulls him away from John. He reaches in his pocket and pulls out a check, already filled out. He hands it over to John, who takes it quickly, holding onto it like a precious treasure.

“Nice doing business with you, John. Take the rest of the day off. Take Sammy out for ice cream or something cheesy like that.” Alastair smirks. Dean looks up at his father with terror in his eyes. John glances down at him once sadly, gulping with guilt. He turns and slides back into the car. Alastair starts to pull Dean towards a grey van parked a few spot over. Dean struggles, trying to pull away from him. Alastair doesn't pay attention to him.

“Let go!” Dean shouts, fighting back with what little strength he has. Alastair glances back, making sure John has driven away. Seeing his absence, he clenches his jaw and grabs Dean, pinning him to the side of the van. Dean yelps and kicks his legs around. Alastair pulls a thick leather collar from his pocket. It has a small black box on it with spikes that press against Dean’s neck as Alastair fastens the collar. He attaches an equally thick leather leash to the metal ring and yanks down, hard, forcing Dean to fall to his knees. He opens the van and steps inside, pulling Dean with him roughly. Dean tries to resist, but he hears a small click and a pulse of electricity bursts from his neck and flows through his entire body, making him cry out and quickly follow.

“If you obey, I'll take care of you. If you don't, I'll make you hurt more than you've ever hurt in your entire life.” Alastair snaps. Dean nods quickly, kneeling next to him. Another man sits in the front seat. He turns around and smiles.

“I think you've got your next bestseller.” He has a strong English accent and a scruffy beard. His dark hair is carefully groomed on his head.

“It'll be a while before this one behaves like we want him to. He's stubborn. Once he's obedient, he’ll be ready for the picking.” Alastair smiles at the man in the front seat. The man nods and turns back, starting the van and driving away. Dean squirms and whimpers, terrified and confused. He receives another shock and he sobs, curling into a ball on the floor. Alastair shocks him over and over, until Dean finally gets the message and stays quiet, trembling hard.  
“Good. That took longer than it should have, but good. Stay quiet and still. One movement or sound that's out of place will get you another.” He holds up the small remote in his hand. Dean looks up and him and nods.

“Oka-AH!” Alastair shocks him again.

“Good omegas only speak when they're told to. Also, keep you gaze downcast. Never look an alpha in the eyes unless they ask you to. I may be a beta, but I'm still above you. If I ask you a question, the answer is either ‘yes sir’ or ‘no sir’. When you go with an alpha, the answer changes from ‘sir’ to ‘alpha’.” Alastair explains, in the most cruel sounding voice Dean has ever heard. He nods and squeaks out,

“Y-yes, sir.” Alastair smiles at him and sits back in his seat, not giving him any praise for the time being. Dean tries his hardest to stay perfectly still, but his entire body is on fire and his jeans are soaked. His thoughts start to wander to dark places. Why did his father do this to him? Why would he just give him away like that? He didn't even look at Dean as he was taken away. Would he ever see his father and brother again? Where are these men taking him? Silent tears roll down his cheeks as the van drives. Little does Dean know, this is the first of many days of this torture. This is only the beginning for him. So much worse is yet to come.

~~~

It's been three weeks since Dean was given away to Alastair. He's been locked in a basement, and for the first week, he was forced to just wait through his heat on the cold, cement floor. It was absolute agony for Dean. He was left writhing and crying in desperation for something he didn’t really want. When it finally ended, Alastair took Dean to his first auction. All his clothes were taken away and he was given a pair of fitted, black boxers that showed off more than he wanted. He stayed quiet, hoping that if he was good, he could leave. At the auction, Alastair forced Dean onto the stage and announced to the audience that he’d be on sale soon. Alphas started shouting offers to get him early, but Alastair denied them all. He’s played this game before. He knows how to market to these people. He grabs Dean’s collar and pulls him offstage. The auction continues as normal, except Dean is on a leash that’s being held by a large guard. His stomach growls loudly and he winces. He hasn’t anything more than a few slices of bread since he was taken away. He looks up at the guard with pleading eyes.  
“P-please help me.” He whispers. The guard scowls and slaps him across the face as hard as he can. Dean yelps and covers his face, with is already blooming red. He turns away and waits patiently, steady tears rolling down his face. Alastair returns and scowls at Dean before looking up at the guard.

“Was he misbehaving?” Alastair asks coldly, taking the leash and pulling it hard. The guard just nods and walks away. Alastair sighs and pulls Dean back to the van. While they're walking through the parking lot, Dean makes a run for it. He kicks Alastair in the back of the knee, reaches up to unclip the leash and he runs. He hears yelling behind him as his feet pound on the ground. He doesn't even know where he's running to. As long as he's away from this awful place, it's fine with Dean. He looks over his shoulder to see several guards running after him, and they're catching up quickly. Dean looks ahead and puts every ounce of energy he has into running. He runs towards the road and waves his arms around, screaming for help. He runs into the road in front of a car, flailing his arms and crying out. The car slows to a stop and a man steps out. Dean stumbles back in horror. The man’s name is Crowley, and he’s Alastair's boss.

“Hello, Dean. What are you be doing here?” He asks with a sly smile. The guards run up to the side of the road and stop upon seeing Crowley. Dean takes a few steps back, ready to run again. Crowley sighs and looks at the guards,  
“Tell Alastair I'll be watching this one from now on.” He looks back at Dean and calmly walks to his trunk. Dean gulps and takes a few more steps back away from the car. The guards have walked away, going back to Alastair. Dean looks behind himself to look for them. A sudden crack snaps him back to attention. He looks back at Crowley, who is now holding a whip. Dean turns and runs again, but another crack rings out, and a strip of skin on his back is struck crimson red as the whip strikes it. He cries out in pain and falls to his knees. Dean scrambles back to his feet and tries to run, but his back is struck again. He sobs and falls back to the ground. Crowley’s hand wraps around his collar and pulls him up and shoves him into the back seat of the car. Dean sobs loudly, struggling to get out of the still open car door. Crowley kicks him in the chest, sending him back into the car with a ‘thud’.

“Let me out!” Dean shouts as Crowley slams the door shut. He opens the driver’s side door and slides into his seat. Dean grabs the door handle and yanks on it several times. He pulls the lock up and tries again. The door doesn't budge. He starts to hyperventilate, the feeling of being trapped becoming almost unbearable. Crowley swerves the car, knocking Dean onto the floor between the seats. The car slows to a stop and Dean scrambles back onto the seats. Crowley rolls down his window and Alastair hands him a leash and the remote to Dean’s collar. Dean clenches his jaw and scoots backwards until his back is pressed against the opposite door. Alastair looks back at him and glares.

“You've got a world of hurt coming, you little bitch.” Alastair spits at him, Dean swallows and backs up against the door more, his back pressing into the door handle. Alastair walks away with a huff and Crowley rolls the window up. He holds the remote up where Dean can see it and calmly speaks,

“Sit in the seat and buckle. This is your last warning.” Dean obeys, shifting over into the seat and pulling the seatbelt across his chest and into the buckle. Crowley sets the remote down in his cupholder and pulls off the side off the road. Dean holds perfectly still, completely frozen in terror.

~~~  
The crack of the whip rings out in the large room, along with Dean’s cries of agony and Crowley’s words of abuse. A pole with cuffs on the sides stands in the center of the room. Dean in on his knees, his hands cuffed against the pole. Crowley stands a few few behind him, bringing the whip down repeatedly on his back. Bright red stripes cover his back, and large blisters are rising up on his skin. Today is a day Dean will never forget. Words spoken stay with him forever and change who he is.  
“You’re just a worthless bitch! That’s all you are, and that’s all you’ll ever be. No one wants you for anything but a bitch for breeding!” Crowley shouts, striping Dean’s back with more welts.

“Please! Stop!” Dean sobs, his back arching with every strike of the whip. His head hangs with his chin touching his chest. Crowley growls and walks around to the front of Dean.

“Look up. Now.” he growls. Dean looks up pleadingly, tears streaming down his face. Crowley brings the whip up again and Dean curls his head into his chest again to protect his face. Crowley grabs his hair and yanks his head back up.  
“I said look up! Do you want this to go on longer?” He spits in Dean’s face. Dean shakes his head and squeezes his eyes shut. One last crack of the whip ends the torture for Dean. A bright red stripe on his cheek and nose flares up, and the salty tears burn. Dean sobs and crumples up on the floor as Crowley uncuffs him.  
“Dirty little bitch. I hope you’ve learned your lesson. A friend of mine is taking you home tomorrow, and he isn’t as merciful as me. I suggest you shape up.” Crowley storms out of the room, locking the door behind him. Dean looks up at the door and stands up, wincing at the sharp pain in his back. He tries to open the door by pulling the handle and pushing it with his shoulder. The door doesn’t budge and Dean hiccups. He walks to the far corner and sits in it, tucking his knees to his chest and sobbing harder than he’s ever sobbed in his entire life.

The next morning, Crowley’s friend comes to take Dean away. The alpha pays Crowley twenty five thousand dollars for Dean. When they come to get him, Dean is still crying in the corner. Crowley hooks the leash to his collar and yanks him up to his feet. Dean stares at the floor and the alpha smiles.  
“He’s never been used?” He asks, looking Dean over with dark eyes.

“Never. He’s been disciplined recently, but after that, I don’t think he’s ever going to act up again.” Crowley smirks at Dean, examining the bright red stripes on his back, and the single stripe on his face.

“He’s gorgeous. Give me the leash.” The alpha snaps. Crowley huffs and hands him the leash. The alpha walks quickly out of the room, dragging Dean with him. Dean is shoved into a medium sized dog crate. He feels too exposed, and he has to curl up and duck in order to fit in the cage. The alpha picks up the cage and places it in the trunk of his car. He slams it shut and Dean winces at the noise. The trunk is dark and stuffy, and Dean starts to feel claustrophobic. He wrenches his eyes shut and tries to block everything out.

~~~

It’s been four years since Dean was sold for the first time. As soon as that alpha took him home, he tied him down and took advantage of him. Dean’s body was frozen and tense throughout the whole thing, even when the alpha’s knot tied them together. He felt used and violated. The alpha didn’t even hold him. While he waited for his knot to go down, he propped his elbows on Dean’s aching back and scrolled through his phone, completely ignoring the omega under him. Dean never learned his name.

A week of the same thing over and over, the alpha sold Dean to Alastair. This begins a four year cycle of alphas. Five more alphas buy him. Some kept him longer than others, but they were all equally horrible. Some of the were physically abusive, others were mentally abusive, but they were all sexually abusive. Dean learned that if his alpha wanted sex, he was going to get it now. The best thing to do was strip down immediately, lie on his stomach and wait.

Dean found hope when alpha number seven appeared. His name was Lucifer. He took Dean in as a friend, and cared for him. He treated Dean like he was worth something. Lucifer promised him that he’d take care of him for as long as he needed. Dean was so desperate for love, that he practically forced himself to love Lucifer. They were happy. Dean thought he found the perfect mate at last. There was just one problem. If Dean didn’t follow every single one of Lucifer’s rules, he would become an entirely different person. He’d lash out at Dean, nearly whispering hurtful words as he lands blow after blow on the omega. Dean tried his best to ignore these moments and bask in the good times, but they still haunted his dreams.

The first time Dean noticed Lucifer’s violent side, he was doing the dishes. A ceramic plate slipped through his soapy hands and shattered on the floor, pieces scattering across the tiles. Dean picked up each individual piece by hand while Lucifer watched him in the doorway of the kitchen with a tiny grin. When Dean had disposed of the shattered pieces, he went back to the sink to finish the dishes. He heard footsteps behind him, but he ignored them. It was most likely just Lucifer grabbing some food. Instead, a calloused hand wrapped around his throat and squeezed. He tried to gasp for air, but his airway was cut off entirely. Lucifer leaned in and whispered into his ear,  
“Now, we aren’t going to let something like that happen again, are we now?” Dean did his best to shake his head, and Lucifer released his throat.  
“Good. Finish up the dishes and we’ll watch a movie before bed.”

~~~

One morning, Dean got some news. He had been feeling ill for the past few weeks, and he had a nagging suspicion he knew what was going on. He found what he needed in Lucifer’s bathroom cabinet, and he got the best news of his life so far. When he saw the little plus sign on the pregnancy test, he had the most cliché reaction possible. His other hand flew up to his mouth and he had the biggest grin on his face. He held the pregnancy test tightly and left the apartment bathroom. He held it behind his back as he walked into the living space.

Lucifer was relaxing on the couch, watching some sitcom Dean didn’t know the name of. Dean tapped lightly on his shoulder and showed him the pregnancy test, a huge smile on his face. Lucifer froze, staring at the test. He took it from Dean’s hand and inspected it carefully. Dean watched him excitedly, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. The only thing that stops him is when Lucifer just nods and hands the little piece of plastic back to Dean. The alpha just stared at the television as if nothing happened. Dean stared at him and frowned. His heart sunk when he realized that Lucifer didn't really care. He retreated to the bedroom and sat down on the edge of the creaky bed. He wasn’t sure how much time passed before Lucifer walked in. He looked up at the alpha hopefully. Lucifer pointed directly to the center of the bed, and Dean knew exactly what to do.

He set the pregnancy test down on the bedside table and quickly stripped down to nothing. He crawled onto the bed and got onto his hands and knees in the center. He took a pillow to bury his face in. The bed creaked and dipped as Lucifer got in behind him. Dean braced himself against the pillow and tried to will himself to be slick and ready. There's no warning or prep before Lucifer was using him to his own desire. Dean hissed in pain and hung on to the pillow for dear life.

He was never good enough to be slick and ready for his alpha. It burned his entire lower midsection and nearly brought him to tears. He knew it wouldn't last very long. Lucifer didn't have as much stamina as any other alpha he’d been with. He felt blunt nails raking down his back and little beads of blood forming. Dean was so touch-starved that he mewls at the sensation. His body pressed back towards Lucifer, but he’s quickly pushed down into the mattress. A choked sob escaped him, and he was trapped there for the next twenty minutes with Lucifer’s much less than average sized knot holding them together. The alpha’s hand gripped the back of Dean’s neck tightly, pinning him in place. Dean knew to stay still and quiet, unless he wanted a beating.

The most tragic part of all of it was that Dean would act out on purpose to get beat. It was the only time other than the daily sex that he was touched. There were no hugs, kisses, or even gentle caresses that mates would usually share.

There was a little flicker of hope within Dean now that he was pregnant. By instinct, alphas were always very protective and clingy to protective omegas. Pregnant omegas also became very clingy and touchy around their alphas. Unfortunately for Dean, Lucifer had no interest in touching him. Everytime he tried to snuggle up next to his alpha, he was pushed to the floor.

~~~

Dean carefully kept track of how far along he was. It was the only thing that kept him going. Lucifer came home smelling of other omegas and betas most nights. Dean was just his little toy to play with. He still fucked him nightly, pushing him hard into the mattress, despite Dean’s protesting that they were going to hurt the baby. Dean was at about eighteen weeks when something felt wrong. Everything was still that day. Ever since he hit twelve weeks, he was able to feel the baby move. Now it was completely motionless. He went into a panic and tried to convince Lucifer to take him to the hospital. After almost an hour of begging, Lucifer got fed up with his now whiny omega. He grabbed Dean by the arm and threw him against the wall. The omega’s head hit the windowsill, knocking him unconscious. Lucifer sighed and smiled at the new peace and quiet.

When Dean woke up, he felt the blood. He looked down and found himself in a small puddle of it. He started hyperventilating and tears pricked at his eyes. He looked around for Lucifer, but he couldn't find him anywhere. He had done excessive research on pregnancy, but he knew nothing about miscarriages. He was just about to go to the computer to figure out what to do when the front door opened. He saw Lucifer, who made a disgusted face at the sight of the pool of blood.

“Clean that up, for Christ’s sake.” He huffed. Dean realized he was tracking blood everywhere in the apartment and suddenly felt woozy. He was never really affected by the sight of his own blood. He was used to seeing it, but this amount had him stumbling until his eyes rolled back and he hit the floor. His consciousness left him, and that was the last straw for Lucifer. It was only one phone call before Alastair’s crew was there to pay Lucifer and drag away the blood covered omega.


	2. Raised from Perdition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here we go again. This chapter is much more lighthearted than the previous. Thank you for all the lovely comments! Please do comment, if you haven't already! I love the communication with my readers!

Dean woke up again, but found himself in a place he prayed he'd never see again. He found himself back in the cells of Alastair’s holding facility. He was still covered in his own blood, but it had dried and caked his lower body. He heard loud noises from the cell right next to him and saw an omega girl. She looked a little younger than Dean, and she was flinging herself against the bars in a desperate attempt to escape. Dean couldn't watch. She slumped to the floor and choked out a sob.

“Stop doing that. You're hurting yourself.” Dean murmured.

The girl looked at him and her eyes widened at the sight of the blood. “Is that what's going to happen to me here?” She asked.

Dean looked at her and sighed. He couldn't answer. Either way, the results would be the same.

The girl didn't stop crying. Dean tried to get her to stop, knowing what would happen if she was too loud. His heart broke a little as she was dragged away by a guard who got fed up with her sobbing. They were either going to beat her or kill her, depending on how well she behaved.

Dean couldn't do anything but sit there with his arms wrapped around his stomach. He lost his chance at having a family again. His sense of self-worth hit rock bottom that night. He hated himself more than any alpha he'd ever been with. He hated the sound of his own voice, and even the sound of his breathing. He wanted to beg for death, for torture. He deserved it for how worthless he was. He was nothing to no one, unworthy of love.

These thoughts didn't leave his head for the duration of the night. The next morning, a beta guard took the omegas out one by one and sprayed them with the hose. Dean spent the most time with the hose. It took longer than expected to get all the dried blood off of him. Once they were all cleaned, they were each given a pair of black boxer briefs that clung to their skin. The males and females had the same briefs. Some of the omegas were so underfed that the briefs would slide down as they walked. Each omega was given a shock collar with a number on it. The guards had numbered remotes clipped to a belt. If an omega misbehaved, it took a quick glance and the push of a button to silence them.

The auction process wasn't pretty. The omegas were shoved out on stage one by one and Alastair would auction them off. If they weren't sold, they went back to the holding cell until the next auction. Until they were pulled on stage, the omegas were all crowded into a tiny room. There wasn't enough space for any of them to do anything but stand still. Dean found himself in the back corner of the room. The girl he was next to earlier was standing near him. She looked completely shell-shocked. The more Dean looked at her, the more she reminded him of Sam. He reached through the crowd and pulled her to his side. She didn't react in the slightest. He wrapped one arm around her and tucked her to his chest with the other, just like he used to hold Sam. The girl slowly wrapped her arms around Dean and held onto him tightly.

“What's your name?” He whispered. The girl sniffled before answering,

“Jay.”

Dean nodded as he played with her hair. She seemed to find the act soothing, so Dean didn't stop. The room became more spacious as more omegas were taken out to be auctioned off. When a guard pulled Dean away from Jay, she had to be pried off of him. Dean tried to keep a brave face for her sake, but as soon as the stage lights hit him, he was back in his submissive trance. The lights didn't allow him any vision into the audience, so he had no idea how many alphas were waiting out there. Voices became background noise. His mind quit registering everything around him. If he allowed himself to go numb, he wouldn't feel. He wouldn't have to feel the pain from losing his baby, the pain of his own self-loathing, or the pain of knowing that he would never see his little brother again. He blinked back tears and squeezed his eyes shut. He blocked out everything and forced himself to become numb.

~~~

Growing up with eight siblings, an alcoholic father, and an absent mother isn't easy. The Novaks looked like a picture perfect family on the outside, but inside that giant house, things weren't as heavenly as they seemed. The oldest twins hated one another with a passion. Eventually, one of them was kicked out of the house. This left Michael, the adopted twins, Raphael and Uriel, more biological twins, Hannah and Anna, then a single child, Castiel. Finally, there were the youngest twins, Gabriel and Balthazar. There were only two omegas, Gabriel and Balthazar. The rest of the family was made up of alphas, but all the girls were betas.

A house full of angsty, teenage alphas was a recipe for disaster. No one was able to get along, and it led the father of the nine children, Chuck, to become an alcoholic. He was the CEO of an airline company, Novak Airlines. The reason he kept having children was to find a suitable heir to the company. None of his children wanted to take over the company, except for Michael, but Chuck had a distaste for him, since he was so much like his twin brother in personality.

Castiel had only moved out of the massive house a few weeks prior, when he got a full time job as a resident doctor at the nearby hospital. He bought a much smaller house than the one his parents’ lived in. Two stories, four bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, and a pool in the backyard. He lived alone in the house in hopes of having a family one day. He'd never met an omega or a beta that he'd want to start a family with.

He was out at lunch with a co-worker when the suggestion of the omega auction came up. Castiel was sickened by the thought of it, but he reluctantly agreed to go and watch. He followed his co-worker all the way to the auction house. He looked around and frowned. There were so many cars parked around the small building. How could so many alphas want to attend this? He huffed and followed his co-worker into the building. He was horrified by the sight. The omegas were so skinny and scared-looking. He sighed and kept his head down. God forbid that he see someone he knew in the crowd of alphas.

~~~

Dean stayed as still as possible on stage. He kept his head down until it was yanked up by Alastair. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to block out everything. He heard a man shout a number, and everything went silent. He felt his head get dropped and heard Alastair’s footsteps walking away. More footsteps came through the crowd. Dean watched quietly as the alpha climbed onto the stage and shoved cash into Alastair’s hand. Probably some knothead who just thought Dean was pretty. The alpha was offered a leash, but he growled in response and grabbed Dean’s wrist firmly. Dean was pulled down the steps and straight out the back door. He stared at his own feet until the alpha stopped and grabbed Dean’s face, making him look up.

The first thing Dean noticed were his eyes. They were strikingly blue and filled with sadness and worry. Dean furrowed his brows in confusion as the alpha took the collar off, which made Dean wince. The collar was so tight that it left swollen lines and marks on his neck. The alpha’s long, slender fingers barely grazed over the marks. Dean saw the frown on the alpha’s face and stayed as still as possible. The alpha opened up his passenger side door and grabbed Dean’s shoulders, sitting him down in the seat and buckling him in.

Dean was dumbstruck by the turn of events. First of all, how did the alpha decide to bid on him so fast? Secondly, why did he look so upset? Lastly, why was he letting him sit up front? Dean had no idea what was going on at this point. He decided to stay quiet and do whatever he was told to do. He didn't trust this at all. It was too much like Lucifer.

The alpha got into the driver’s seat and started the car. He looked over at Dean.  
“I am so sorry you ended up there. I've never seen anything so horrible. My name is Castiel. I'm going to take you to the hospital I work at and make sure you aren't injured.”

Now Dean was even more suspicious. The similarities between Castiel and Lucifer were too big. Lucifer started out so caring. He took Dean under his care and treated him like he mattered. As soon as he earned Dean’s trust, he stopped his charade and treated Dean like he was nothing more than a sex toy. Dean looked down at his lap and didn't respond. He wasn't going to be vulnerable. He wasn't going to let this alpha trick him into loving him. Castiel would never love him. No alpha goes looking for love at an omega auction. Alphas go to auctions to find some toy for their own pleasure. They pick the prettiest ass and take them home until they're ready for something new. Auctioned omegas were nothing more than breeders and whores for sale.

Castiel noticed Dean’s discomfort almost immediately. “Are you cold? I can turn on the seat warmer, if you'd like.”

Dean shook his head and stared at his own feet. He wasn't going to speak to Castiel. That would be too much of a surrender.

Castiel looked back at the road and pulled into the hospital parking lot. He parked in the employee parking lot and got out of the car. He opened the passenger’s side door for Dean and waited for him to climb out.

Dean looked up at Castiel and slowly got out of the car. He watched as the alpha took his jacket off and wrapped it around Dean’s shoulders.

Castiel led Dean into the building and walked straight to his office. He sat Dean down in his office chair and gave him a small, comforting smile. “Stay here. I'll be right back.”

Dean gave a tiny nod and refused to make eye contact.

Castiel left the room and walked the halls of the hospital. He asked the receptionist if there was a room he could borrow for a while. She smiled and nodded.

“Room 346 is open right now. Who's it for?”

“A homeless omega. I think he was recently pregnant, but I can't quite tell. Thank you.” Castiel walked quickly back to his office and found Dean in the same spot, still staring at the floor.   
“You can follow me.”

Dean stood up and walked out of the small office. He followed Castiel to the elevator and then to the room. He sat on the edge of the hospital bed and shifted nervously. He never liked going to the doctor as a kid, but that was when he was very young, when his mother was still alive.

Castiel sanitized his hands and put on a pair of gloves. He walked up to Dean and gave him a comforting smile.  
“Just let me know if anything hurts or if you're uncomfortable with anything I'm doing. I just want to make sure you're healthy and uninjured.”

Dean looked up a little bit and nodded.

Castiel tipped his chin up and looked at his eyes, nose and mouth. His pupils were two different sizes which was a common sign of a concussion. He pressed two fingers to Dean’s neck and felt for his lymph nodes. They were normal, so nothing was infected. He felt along his jaw for any signs of fractures. The jaw was commonly fractured in abuse situations. He didn't feel anything, so that was good. He felt along each of Dean’s arms, hands, and fingers and nodded. Dean wasn't reacting, so he wasn't in pain.   
“Everything looks pretty good so far. Could you lie back for me?”

Dean nodded and moved himself around until he was lying flat on his back. He felt a little exposed like this. His stomach was soft, but he was still malnourished and skinny all over.

Castiel frowned a little when he saw just how thin Dean was. He slowly reached out to touch Dean’s stomach, but he yanked his hand back when Dean flinched away violently and wrapped his arms around himself protectively. Castiel sighed.   
“Have you been pregnant recently?” He asked quietly.

Dean looked away and stayed silent. He wasn't going to give in to what this alpha wanted.

Castiel frowned and sighed heavily. He walked to the cabinets and got out a standard vial for collecting blood and a needle. He took Dean’s arm and tied an elastic band on his upper arm. He wiped Dean’s forearm with a sterile alcohol wipe and drew a vial of his blood.

Dean let Castiel take his blood without looking at him or even acknowledging his presence. He twitched a bit at the insertion of the needle, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle.

Castiel poked his head out of the room. He called a nurse over and asked her to run several tests on his blood to find out if he was pregnant, or if he had just given birth. Certain protein levels in the blood could determine that. He walked back over to Dean’s bed and sat down on a stool next to him. He needed as much information as possible, and that wouldn't be easy if Dean wouldn't speak.   
“I know you must be scared, but I really do need you to speak to me. Could you at least tell me your name?”

Dean sat up and fiddled with a loose thread on Castiel’s coat, which he was still wearing. He heard Castiel, but he didn't react or respond, much to Castiel’s disappointment.

“Could you write your name down?” Castiel picked up a notepad for writing prescriptions and a pen, holding them out to Dean.

Dean looked at Castiel’s hands before slowly taking the pad and pen. He wrote, ‘Dean Winchester’ down and pushed the paper back into the alpha’s hands.

Castiel was extremely pleased that he could somewhat communicate with Dean now. He looked at the pad and nodded.   
“Dean? That's a very nice name. Do you have any family?”

Dean visibly flinched at the question. He did have family out there somewhere, but he didn't want to see them. He missed Sam dearly, but he would never let Sam see him like this. As for his father, he hated him. It was his fault that he ended up here in the first place. He effectively ruined Dean’s entire being. His once confident, snarky personality was buried deep within him, and now he was a skinny little thing who jumped at the slightest of sounds.

Castiel frowned and reached out to place his hand on Dean’s shoulder comfortingly.

Dean flinched away from his touch, his arm coming up in defense. He hated that reflex. It always got him in trouble. He couldn't just sit there and take it like he was supposed to. Every time he did it, he was hit even harder. He lowered his arm and braced himself, squeezing his eyes shut.

Castiel was horrified by what he was seeing. He pulled his hand away and sighed. Maybe touching wasn't the best idea. “Dean, I'm not going to hit you. I would never. Please try to relax,” he said quietly.

Dean simply looked away and shifted nervously. His reaction made Castiel sigh heavily and stand up from his stool. He looked out of the door of the hospital room. One of the nurses, Anna, was also an omega. Castiel waved her down and stepped out of the hospital room. He closed the door so that Dean wouldn't hear his conversation.   
“Anna, I think I need your help. Zachariah dragged me to watch one of those omega auction things. I've never seen anything so horrible. I couldn't leave without helping in some way. One of them looked like he may have been pregnant recently, and he just looked so broken. I couldn't leave without getting him out of there. I've got him in here, but he won't speak, and he's very skittish. I think speaking to another omega may help him calm down a bit. Could you try to get him to speak? I just need to be able to communicate with him.” Castiel was near tears by the end of his explanation.

Anna listened and nodded.   
“Of course. What's his name?”

“Dean. I'm going to warn you beforehand, his very malnourished and covered with scars.”

Anna nodded and entered the room once Castiel had stepped aside. She smiled a little at Dean and sat down in the stool while Castiel watched from the doorway. Anna was clearly upset by the sight and instantly sympathetic.   
“Hello, Dean. My name is Anna. Would you like something to eat? I can go get something from the cafeteria. I saw pecan pie earlier.”

Dean looked at Anna skeptically. He did love pecan pie, but he didn't trust the situation. Of course, his stomach was a tattle tale and it growled loudly.

Anna gave a comforting smile and nodded. “I'll take that as a yes. I'll go get you a tray from the cafeteria.” She stood up and left the room to go get Dean’s food.

Castiel went back to the stool and sat down. He watched Dean as he looked around the room a little, starting to take in his surroundings. Castiel took this as a sign that Dean was relaxing a little and smiled a bit.

Anna returned shortly with a tray full of food. There was a ham sandwich, a little side of steamed corn, a glass of apple juice, and a slice of pecan pie. She set the tray down on the bed for Dean, who stared at it longingly, but didn't touch it. Even when Anna gestured for him to eat, he didn't budge.

Castiel tilted his head. “You can eat, Dean. I know you're hungry. You don't have to finish everything, but I'd like to see you eat some of it.”

Dean looked at Castiel for a moment before looking back at the food. This seemed like some sort of test. Dean wasn't going to let this alpha break him. He simply shook his head and moved back on the bed, away from the food.

Anna frowned before picking up the plate of pecan pie and a fork. She held it out.   
“I saw you perk up at the mention of pie.” She smiled and moved it closer to Dean, who backed up against the headboard and shook his head again. Anna sighed and set it down.   
“I'll send this home with you, so when you are hungry, you can eat it.” She picked up the tray and left the room to get it packaged.

Castiel was happy to get Dean’s test results back. His heart broke a little when he saw an elevation in proteins that are only in high doses during or after a miscarriage. He also saw how severely malnourished Dean was. Luckily, miscarriage can be completed by the body without complications, so there was no need to intervene. He didn't appear to be past his first trimester. As for the malnourishment, he just need to make Dean eat. He sighed and set the clipboard down.   
“Dean, I am so sorry for your loss. I can't imagine how painful this must have been for you.”

Dean visibly tensed at the words. He instantly knew that Castiel knew about his miscarriage. He started trembling as he tucked his knees to his chest and turned away from Castiel, who walked around the bed to look at him.

“I'm going to take you back to my house. Hopefully you'll be able to relax a little more there. I know hospitals aren't a very comforting place. I really need you to eat the food Anna brought you. You're very malnourished and you need the nutrients,” he explained, watching him with an expression of worry.

Dean was starting to think that this alpha was just as sick in the head as Lucifer. He's playing the same game with Dean. He's trying to earn his trust before throwing Dean aside like he's nothing more than garbage. He turned around to face the other direction, away from Castiel. He growled and huffed, refusing to speak or react. Maybe if he misbehaved enough, the alpha would sell him or even better, maybe he'd snap and kill him. Death would be better than the pain he was in.

Castiel was a little taken aback by the growl. He wasn't angry, just worried. He sighed and walked to the door. He held it open and gestured for Dean to follow. Much to his surprise, Dean didn't get up slowly and follow. He jumped up and bolted down the halls. Castiel gasped and took off after him. The hospital security joined Castiel in pursuit of Dean. Castiel had to admit that Dean was really fast on his skinny little legs. He knew Dean would last long, though. He was too weak.

Dean panted and bursted through another set of doors. Everyone got out of the way of the omega except for another security guard, who managed to get an arm around Dean’s waist and stop him dead in his tracks. Castiel caught up with ease. He was a runner in his free time, so he had plenty of stamina and speed.

“Thank you, Steve,” Castiel gave the security guard a smile and attempted to take Dean from him. This earned him a fist to the face from Dean. Castiel stumbled back in shock and watched as Dean thrashed and growled, kicking and trying to escape the guard’s grip. The guard quickly cuffed Dean’s wrists behind his back and pinned him to the wall to keep him from hurting anyone else.

Castiel shook his head and stepped forward.   
“He's just scared, he didn't mean it!”

Dean sobbed and writhed, desperately fighting to get away. The guard let him go and he slumped to the floor, leaning against the wall.

Castiel knelt down and took Dean’s face in his hands, searching for any sign of injury. He didn't care that his cheek was throbbing from the punch he received. He just pulled Dean into a hug and tucked his head under his chin.

Dean was limp as he cried against Castiel’s chest. He was physically and emotionally spent. He couldn't do anything but cry. The guard had knelt down behind him and unlocked the cuffs. Dean hardly reacted and just let his arms hang.

Castiel slipped one of his arms under Dean’s knees and scooped him into his arms. He stood up and looked at the security guards.   
“I'm sorry about the commotion. He was too skittish to do anything not five minutes ago. I'm going to help him get back on his feet. I pulled him out of an omega auctioning circle,” he explained before turning to leave. He ignored the stares from patients, doctors, and nurses as he carried Dean to the back exit of the hospital.

Anna ran up to him and tapped his shoulder.   
“There you are! I have his food. Is everything alright?”

Castiel took the bag and nodded with a small smile.   
“Yes. I'm going to get him settled into the guest bedroom of my place. Hopefully with time, he’ll be back on his feet, and he can support himself.”

Anna smiled and nodded. “Alright. Keep me updated. See you tomorrow.”

Castiel nodded and walked outside. The wind nipped at his nose as he made his way to his car. He opened the passenger’s side door and set Dean down in the seat. He buckled him in and set his food on the floor in front of him. Seeing how unresponsive Dean had suddenly become was unsettling to say the least. Castiel got into the driver’s seat and began the drive to his house.

He lived in a city in Wyoming called Jackson Hole. It was one of the most popular skiing resorts in the U.S. During the summer, the weather was gorgeous and perfect. As fall approached, everyone was preparing for the several feet of snow that would cover the town for the next three months. During the winter, the ski resorts would fill up with new tourists and seasonal visitors. Castiel lived on the side of town where most of the year-round residents lived.

His house was a two story cabin style home with four bedrooms and three bathrooms. He lived alone, but he did want a family one day.

Castiel pulled into the garage and parked his car. He looked over at Dean, who hadn't moved since he’d been buckled in. Castiel sighed and tilted his head a bit as he smiled at Dean. “Let's go inside and you can finish your dinner.”

Dean glanced up at him and stared for a moment before lowering his gaze.

Castiel got out of the car and opened the door for Dean. He was already sure that the garage door was closed to keep Dean from bolting again. He watched carefully as Dean got out of the car and stood behind him and slightly to the left. It was a move that seemed very practiced, and it made Castiel slightly uncomfortable.   
“I'll show you around the house a little first. I have a bedroom you can have to yourself.”

He led Dean inside the house and closed the door behind them. The house stuck to the same cabin-style theme as the outside. The kitchen was the first room you entered from the garage. There was a breakfast bar with three stools and a large island with decorative pieces scattered around. Everything was perfectly tidy and had its own place.

Dean was stuck in a trance. He didn't register anything except for Castiel, whom he followed through the kitchen and into the large living space. This room had dark, dense and fluffy carpet that looked like it felt wonderful under bare feet. There was a large leather couch with neatly folded quilts draped over the back.

Next came the dining space. There was a large, oak table with seating for ten people. An elegant chandelier hung from the ceiling over the table. Each seat was carved from a wood Dean couldn't recognize even if he tried. It was stained to a deep brown that made everything look more cozy.

Castiel started up the staircase, which led to the upstairs bedrooms. He didn't bother showing Dean the guest bedroom downstairs or the bathroom. They weren't all that interesting. Instead, he led him to the second bedroom, which was right next to the master. A queen sized bed with crimson red sheets and a dark brown comforter sat between the two windows that looked out over the expanse of forest in the backyard. There was a tall dresser on one side of the room and two doors on the other. One door led to a walk-in closet, the other to a bathroom that connected to the third bedroom. There was a shower/bath combo piece on one side, and the toilet sat on the other. A double sink stood in the middle of the back wall.

Dean blinked several times and started looking around. He suddenly became aware of everything and absorbed where he was.

Castiel gestured to the room.   
“This will be your room. The bathroom and closet are yours as well.” He gave Dean a warm smile, hoping he'd seem calmer. The reaction he got was the last thing he expected. Dean looked offended by what he was seeing. Of course, Castiel didn't know the real reason Dean was upset. He was angry because to him, this was some sort of sick game. Dean truly believed that this was just to gain his trust before he could put him in the basement and treat him like garbage, just like everyone else did.

Dean scowled and walked straight to the corner. He sat down and tucked his knees to his chest before laying down completely. This was familiar, this is where he felt he belonged.

Castiel was confused and appalled by the reaction he got. He walked over to the bed and pulled back the comforter and sheets. He patted the pillow.   
“This is your bed. If you're tired, you can sleep here.”

Dean growled and curled tighter into a ball. He closed his eyes and refused to move.

Castiel walked over to him and knelt down. He slid one arm under Dean’s knees and the other under his shoulders. He started to lift Dean, but promptly dropped him when he got an elbow to the nose. He backed off and tilted his head back as soon as he felt blood dripping. He sighed and walked to the bathroom. Once over the sink, he let his head hang so that the blood could drain.

Dean pressed his face into the corner and squeezed his eyes shut. It couldn't be long now before he was taken back to Alastair. Maybe it would take one or two more acts against Castiel, but as long as he gets out of this teasing game, he's perfectly alright.

Castiel sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He didn't understand why Dean was trying to hurt him, but his best guess was that he was scared. He looked in the mirror and checked his nose and cheek from where he'd been punched earlier. Nothing was broken, but he'd probably have a bruised nose in the morning. The bleeding didn't take very long to stop, much to Castiel’s relief. He rinsed his face and the sink before returning to the bedroom. He picked up a quilt that was draped over the edge of the bed and one of the fluffy pillows. He knelt down behind Dean and covered him in the quilt. He left the pillow right behind his head, hoping he would take it.

Instead, Dean shoved the pillow away and kicked the blanket off. He felt a sense of achievement when he heard Castiel’s aggravated sigh.

“Dean, I'm just trying to help you. Why aren't you letting me?” Castiel sounded like some kind of wounded animal. The sound made Dean's chest pang with guilt. He curled up tighter and hid his face.

Castiel leaned against the wall and sighed. Dean had to move eventually, and he would wait until he did so. He closed his eyes and settled down for a long wait.

Dean glanced at Castiel and huffed. He still had the alpha’s coat on. As much as he wanted to throw it off as an act of defiance, the thing smelled too damn good. The only way to describe the smell was the word, homely. It made him feel warm and cozy inside, which he hated. He couldn't let himself want this alpha. It hurt too much to get attached.

Several hours passed. Dean was still refusing to move, and Castiel was waiting patiently beside him. Dean’s stomach was being a traitor and growling loudly at him. Castiel looked at Dean and decided to try to get him up again.

“You're hungry. Let's go get your dinner so you can eat. It's not healthy to skip meals.” He tried to be as encouraging as possible, but that only seemed to make Dean even more upset.

Dean growled and turned over. He was done. This was too much for him to handle. What the hell was wrong with alphas? Every single one was just as sick in the head as Lucifer. Castiel was the same. Dean was convinced that Castiel just wanted to see him break into a submissive little thing.   
“What the fuck is wrong with you?! You show me all this good food and this beautiful bedroom just to watch my face when you take it all away? We both know damn well that I don't actually deserve any of this! You didn't go to that auction to find a friend or a mate, you went to that auction for a bitch. That's what every alpha who goes into that godforsaken place wants. I won't give you the satisfaction of my disappointment when you show me where you actually want me. So where is it? The basement? Tied up outside? I've seen it all, so go ahead and show me, you stupid fucking knothead!” Dean shouted, tears pricking at his eyes and spilling down his cheeks. He stared at Castiel’s appalled face with a glare until what he said sunk in. He shrank away and covered his head defensively, preparing himself for the inevitable beating he was about to receive.

Instead of kicks to the ribs or being thrown, he felt warm arms wrap around his body and pull him into a tight hug. His head was tucked under the alpha’s chin in a protective gesture. Dean was overwhelmed with emotion from the affection, what he'd said, and the calming scent of Castiel. He choked out a sob and cried into Castiel’s chest, unable to anything more.

Castiel held Dean tight against his own body and slowly rocked back and forth. His own tears fell down his cheeks in sympathy for the omega in his arms. He never knew how bad it was for omegas in those places, and he was horrified when he saw how bad it was for Dean. He couldn't do anything but hold him and do his best to calm him down. He listened as Dean’s heaving sobs turned to soft sniffles, and then even breathing. He had cried himself to sleep. Castiel gently lifted him and laid him down on the bed. He pulled the blankets over Dean’s sleeping form and tucked him in. He left the small lamp on the bedside table on and slowly left the room. He left the door open as he entered his own room. He made sure his own bedroom door was open before he began preparing for bed.

Castiel found himself much too exhausted for any kind of dinner. He was a little shell shocked from the day. He washed his face and sighed heavily. He started to wonder if he had taken on more than he could handle. He took a deep breath before retiring to his bed. He laid awake in thought. Helping Dean would be a slow build-up of trust. For now, all he could do was fall asleep and hope Dean slept well through the night. 


	3. Progress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I've noticed some confusion about ages, so here's a list of characters and their ages. I'll make sure to be more clear as I go!  
> Dean-20  
> Castiel-26  
> Lucifer-35

Castiel was awoken by loud screams coming from Dean’s room. He practically left out of his bed and ran into Dean’s room. Just as he ran in, Dean shot up in bed, wide eyed and panting. His hand was clamped over the side of his neck and shaking. Castiel slowly approached Dean and gave him a comforting smile. As he reached out to place his hand on Dean’s shoulder, the omega flinched away from his touch. Castiel blinked and pulled his hand back.   
“Are you alright?”

Dean nodded and turned onto his side, facing away from Castiel. He pulled the covers up to his neck and huffed out a breath.

Castiel frowned slightly and chewed on his lower lip. He debated trying to comfort Dean, and decided that he should do something to be helpful. He reached out and gently placed his hand on Dean’s shoulder.

Dean huffed out another large puff of air and smacked Castiel’s hand away. He scooted away from the alpha and refused to look in his direction.

Castiel sighed and backed off. He rubbed his hand, which stung from the slap.   
“Goodnight, Dean. I'm just across the hall if you need anything.” He sighed when he saw that Dean wasn't going to respond in any way. He left the room, leaving the door open. He looked out the window at the end of the wall and saw that the sun was just starting to rise. He checked the alarm clock in his room. 5:47. It would go off in fifteen minutes to wake him up for work. He sighed and turned it off before opening up his closet. He pulled on a pair of baby blue scrubs with a white trim. He put on his work tennis shoes and walked to the bathroom to finish getting ready.

Once he was prepared to leave, he walked down to the kitchen to grab some breakfast. He made four slices of toast with strawberry jam and honey. The first two pieces were for himself. He put the other two on a plate and carried it to Dean’s room. He turned on the small lamp on the bedside table and set that plate down on the table.   
“I brought you some breakfast. I have to go to work. I'll be back around six thirty tonight. You're welcome to anything in the fridge. Your dinner from last night is on the kitchen table. I have Netflix on the living room television. The remote should be on the coffee table. I'll see you tonight.” He gave Dean a friendly smile, which quickly faded when he saw that Dean hid himself even more. He sighed and left the room, leaving the door open for Dean.

Castiel was in a hurry to get to the hospital. He needed to distract himself with idiots in the ER and his coworkers. He hoped to speak to one of the psychiatrists at the hospital for advice on Dean. He was already convinced that he had some kind of post traumatic stress disorder.

As he clocked in and got his coat on, he felt a little more confident in himself. He was almost immediately handed a clipboard describing his first patient. He scanned it as he walked on instinct through the halls to the room listed on the papers.

~~~

Dean stayed in bed for god knows how long. All he knew is that the sun was in his eyes and he had to get up. He looked at the toast and glanced around nervously. It had to be some kind of trap, but if it was, maybe he'd be beaten to death for it. In his state of mind, that sounded like a good option. He picked up the first piece of toast and chewed down hungrily. He hadn't eaten in days, and he felt himself wasting away. He finished the first in seconds and practically stuffed the second into his mouth. He felt much better and felt well enough to get out of bed. He took a minute to get a good look at the bedroom. Everything was of good quality, and he couldn't find a single thing out of place. He wandered out of his room to explore the rest of the house. He went straight downstairs and started looking for a basement. He opened doors to a bathroom, a closet, a guest bedroom, and yet another closet. He finally found a basement door and gulped before slowly walking down the stairs. Basements had a very negative connotation in his mind. Even though the walls of the stairs were painted nicely, he still felt uneasy. It felt like this would be the last time he saw these walls, and he'd be trapped down here for years, fed meager scraps for food, and forced to endure torture and rape until he wasted away.

Dean shook those thoughts away for now and flicked on the light. He was surprised to find a pleasant rec room with another TV and a treadmill. He found another bedroom and a bathroom around the corner and furrowed his brows. He opened every door, searching for some horrible room. His breathing became labored as he found nothing that was alarming. It should have been relieving that the house had nothing bad, but instead, he was panicking. This wasn't what was supposed to happen. He found a closet with the water heater and crawled into the corner, careful not to touch the hot metal. This was the closest to what he knew. He curled into a ball and trembled, holding back tears.

~~~

Castiel finished his shift at six and stopped by the nurse’s station to talk to Anna. She was filling out a report when she saw Castiel.

“How was last night? Get any sleep?” She asked.

“I slept well. I'm not sure about Dean. He woke up around five forty-five from a nightmare.”

Anna sighed and nodded. “What happened to your nose?”

“He got upset and elbowed me. I think he thinks I'll leave him alone if he keeps attacking me. I'm trying to be persistent on helping him. He's refused every gesture so far, and when I saw him this morning, he still hadn't eaten. I'm going to set up a meeting with a psychiatrist to see if I can get him some mental help.”

Anna couldn't help but smile. “You're so good-natured, Castiel. You didn't have to do anything, and here you are, feeding and housing an omega you've only just met to get him back on his feet.”

Castiel blushed and rolled his eyes. “I’m just doing what I think is right. I'll keep you updated. See you tomorrow.”

“See ya.” Anna waved goodbye before going back to her report.

Castiel hung up his coat in his office and put away his files in his filing cabinet. He walked out the back door to his car and hummed quietly to himself. The temperature had already dropped for the night, and it was completely dark out. He started up his ar and turned on the seat warmer. He listened to quiet classical music as he drove back to his house. As he pulled up and parked in the garage, nothing seemed different to him. He closed the garage door and entered the house. He opened the box of food to check if Dean had eaten it. He found it untouched and sighed. He picked up the box and tossed it into the garbage. It was probably pretty stale after sitting out all day and night. He took his shoes off and walked upstairs to check on Dean. He opened the bedroom door, and the first thing he noticed is that the toast was gone. That was encouraging, although Dean was nowhere to be seen in the bedroom. Castiel looked through the bathroom before looking in every room upstairs.   
“Dean? Are you in here?” He looked around his room and found it just as he left it. His heart started racing at the idea that Dean had run away. He ran back downstairs and searched each room and under every piece of furniture, calling out Dean’s name.

He was about to start searching outside when he noticed that the basement door was open. He jogged down the stairs and started searching again. Down the hallway, he saw the closet open and sat an outline of a person huddled in the corner. Castiel turned on the light and knelt down.   
“Dean, what are doing down here?” He asked. He saw Dean covered in sweat from the heat of the water heater.   
“Were you cold?”

Dean pressed himself further back, hoping that Castiel wouldn't be able to reach him. He shook his head and slipped behind the water heater.

Castiel moved further back and held his hand out for Dean. “Please come out. You're going to burn yourself.”

Dean stared at Castiel and slowly moved out from behind the water heater. He refused the alpha’s hand, but he crawled out of the closet.

Castiel let out a sigh of relief and closed the closet door. He switched the light off.   
“Thank you. Let's go upstairs and make some dinner? Alright?”

Dean silently cursed his stomach for growling and giving him away. The toast was good, and he was still starving. He nodded and stood up, ready to follow Castiel.

Castiel gave a small smile at the improvement in Dean’s responses. There was no violence or refusal, and there was even acceptance. That was a start. He let Dean follow him up the stairs and to the kitchen. He pulled one of the stools at the breakfast bar out for Dean to sit on before opening up the fridge.

Dean sat down on the stool and watched Castiel go to the fridge. This was his way of testing the waters to try and find Castiel’s motive. It was already clear that he wasn't like any other alpha Dean ever had. Whether he was better or worse was still undecided by Dean. He didn't know who or what to believe. This could all be some horrible game, but it could also be a one-in-a-million chance to get out of that auction house for good.

Castiel looked around the fridge and then back at Dean.  
“How do cheeseburgers sound?”

Dean felt his mouth water at the sound of a cheeseburger. He nodded to confirm that he wanted one.

Castiel gave a small smile and got out frozen ground beef, a block of cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and onion slices. He put a pan and a grill plate on the stove and turned it on. He used a large knife to cut the block of beef into two servings and put each on the stove. Once they had de-thawed, he took them off with a spatula and used a rubber mold to form the shape of a patty. He put the beef back on the stove to cook and hummed quietly to himself.

Dean watched with great interest. He'd never seen anyone make a burger from scratch before, so it was fun to watch. The smell was divine, and he thought he might start drooling.

Cas waited until the patties were done before slicing two pieces of cheese and placing them on top to let the cheese melt onto the patty. Once it was done, he turned the stove off and got out two plates. He opened up the pantry and got out two burger buns. He built each burger with a cheese patty, a piece of lettuce, a slice of tomato, and some onion. He put a plate in front of Dean before making a glass of ice water and setting that in front of him too.

Dean went straight for the water. He picked up the glass and drank almost all of it before pausing for breath. He was very dehydrated and the water felt incredible on his tongue and throat. He moved to the burger next and picked it up. He took a large bite and his eyes fell closed. He hadn't had anything this good in years. He chewed and swallowed before taking another large bite.

Castiel found himself beaming with pride that he was able to get Dean to eat and drink comfortably. He made a glass of water for himself before he started to eat. Cheeseburgers were one of his favorite food items, but he didn't make them very often, since they weren't very healthy. Even the way he made them was still high in calories and fat, although, it looked like Dean needed that. Castiel refilled Dean’s water and continued eating his own burger.

Dean finished his burger and licked his fingers clean. He let out a small sigh of relief and picked up his plate. He gulped down the glass of water again before standing up. Completely on instinct, he picked up Castiel’s plate and put all the dishes in the sink. He turned the water on and started cleaning them.

Castiel made a surprised face and reached over, turning the water off. “Just leave those there. I'll get them later.”

Dean made a face right back at Castiel. “You're an alpha…” he murmured.

Castiel raised an eyebrow, at the fact that Dean was speaking and at the comment. “And?”

“I...I thought only omegas did things like this, dishes and cooking…” Dean looked down at the floor.

“I've always done my own cooking, cleaning, everything. Who told you that?” Castiel asked.

Dean paused. “Everyone…”

Castiel frowned and sighed. “Well, they're wrong. I have eight siblings, and only two of them are omegas, and they’re the babies of the family, so they didn't do any housework whatsoever. The alphas did everything, including taking care of the babies. Saying that omegas are the only ones who can do housework is ridiculous in my eyes.”

Dean blinked and looked up at him. “You really think that? You're not lying?”

Castiel nodded. “Of course.” He pulled his wallet from his pocket and pulled a family picture out of the pocket. He showed it to Dean and pointed to Gabriel and Balthazar. “Those are my youngest brothers. They're omegas. The rest of the boys are alphas, and the girls are betas.”

Dean looked over the picture and nodded. He looked at each member before coming across a familiar face. His eyes went wide and he backed up slightly.

Castiel frowned. “What's wrong?”

“I...I know one of them. He looks like the oldest in that picture...I don't know...He was my last alpha.” Dean’s voice was barely above a whisper.

Castiel looked at the picture again. “Lucifer?”

A shiver went up Dean’s spine just at the mention of the name. He backed up even further and nodded. No wonder Lucifer and Castiel were so alike. They were brothers.

  
Castiel put the picture back in his wallet.  
“I'm so sorry. My father disowned him years ago, since he kept beating his younger siblings.” He paused and watched Dean as he continued backing into the corner.   
“Did he hurt you?” Castiel started moving forwards towards Dean, trying to comfort him.

This only made Dean back up further until he was trapped in the corner. He gave a small nod and pressed himself against the wall.

Castiel stopped when he realized that Dean was scared.   
“Hey, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not anything like him.”

Dean glared. “You're just like him. You've taken me in, shown me all of these wonderful things, acted like you care, but it's all a lie. You're just going to take it all away and laugh when you see the disappointment on my face. Well guess what, buddy? You're not getting it. I don't believe your little charade for a second. So go ahead and just do it, just do what you've been holding back all this time. Beat me. Beat me until I'm nearly dead just for your own satisfaction. Hell, why don't you just go ahead and kill me? It's not like I even want to be alive anymore!” He stood up a little straighter and started moving back towards Castiel. As soon as he finished, he closed his eyes and braced himself.

Castiel stepped back in shock, his mouth hanging open when he saw Dean bracing for a punch or any other strike. He was shocked by the sudden pull in his stomach that told him to do anything to protect the omega in front of him. He led never felt anything like it. His brain screamed for him to take Dean into his arms and hold him tightly. He couldn't think for a few seconds and stood there, just blinking and staring at Dean. Once he regained his control, he gently cupped Dean’s face and kissed his forehead.   
“I would never do that to you, Dean. I'm not like my brother. I just want you to be happy.”

Dean opened his eyes at the kiss and looked up at him. He felt a similar pull in his stomach, but this one told him to curl into Castiel’s arms and stay there forever. He huffed and slapped Castiel’s hands away.   
“Douchebag.” He muttered before turning and storming up the stairs. He slammed the door to his bedroom and growled to himself.

Castiel couldn't do anything but watch him go. He sighed and put his elbows on the counter. He put his face in his hands and let out a long breath. Why did he feel so strongly for Dean? It hurt like hell to see him upset, and all he wanted was to make him happy.

Dean was just as upset in his room. He wasn't supposed to like the alphas he got stuck with. He was all-too-aware of his Stockholm Syndrome situation with Lucifer, and he felt like it was happening all over again. He undressed himself before climbing into the bed and curling into a ball. He put one of the pillows over his head to block out all light and noise.

Castiel walked up the stairs and decided to at least check on Dean. He saw the jacket he gave him the day before, and the underwear Dean was wearing when he first saw him. He looked at the bed and saw a lump, which he assumed was Dean. He picked up the clothes and left the room so that he could wash them. As he walked, he picked up a smell that was absolutely intoxicating. He sniffed at his jacket and found that Dean’s scent had rubbed off on it. Why was it so damn good? He found himself leaning against the wall with the jacket to his face, breathing heavily. He dropped the underwear on the floor and just stood there with the jacket. His body went against his mind, and he realized that he had a serious boner going. Well, no turning back now.

Castiel shuffled into his room and closed the door. He shucked off his scrubs pants and his shirt, leaving him in his boxers. He laid down on his bed and held the jacket to his nose. His free hand slowly travelled to his crotch. He rarely touched himself these days. He was always told it was wrong as a kid, so there was always a sense of fear in it. With the scent from the jacket, all of that fear was gone. He pushed his boxers aside and wrapped his hand around his already hard member. He made a soft noise of pleasure as he stroked himself. It took less than five minutes before he was gasping and coming all over his stomach. He even popped a knot, all over Dean’s scent rubbed off on a jacket.

God, what had Castiel gotten himself into?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dean is starting to make progress, but now both of them are in a pretty weird dilemma. Dean doesn't want to love Castiel, and Castiel thinks he could never be loved back by Dean. Oh shit, things are getting serious. Also, I'm trying not to drag out Dean's recovery. I feel like it'll get old really fast. Don't forget to comment! I'm replying to every comment on this chapter, since I was so bad about it for the last chapter.


	4. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully this chapter will clear up certain details. I know you're all curious, but I'm withholding details for a reason. Everything is coming together, slowly but surely

Castiel woke up to the sound of his alarm. He grumbled and turned over to turn it off. What he didn't expect was to roll on top of a lump that was right next to him. His eyes snapped open and the figure jumped back and off the bed. Castiel looked over the edge of the bed and saw Dean on the floor, looking startled and confused.

  
“Why did you move me?” Dean asked.

  
“I didn't move you. Have you ever sleepwalked?”

  
“I don't think so.” Dean mumbled, looking down at the floor. He tucked his legs to his chest in shame. He must have wandered in here in the middle of the night. The worst part was, he was stark naked.

  
Castiel got out of bed and opened his closet. He found some briefs that were too small for him and a pair of pajama pants. He picked out a t-shirt and brought the clothes to Dean. He set them down next to him before leaving to go to the bathroom to give Dean privacy, and to get ready for the day. He brushed his teeth and somewhat fixed his hair. It was stuck in a perpetual state of messiness, so there really wasn't a point in trying. While he got ready, he thought about Dean ending up in his bed. It must be a habit at this point. From what he'd heard, Dean had been with more than one alpha, and it was likely that he always stayed in the same bed with them. It made sense that Dean’s subconscious self would want to sleep near the closest alpha.

  
Dean waited until Castiel was in the bathroom before dressing himself. The t-shirt was a little baggy, but it fit just fine. The briefs were a little loose, but they stayed on. The pajama pants were fine in leg length, but they dropped to the ground as soon as Dean pulled them up. He sighed and picked them up again. He pulled the drawstrings until the pants were snug against his hips and tied a small bow. It looked a little ridiculous with the strings hanging halfway down his thighs, but if he didn't, the pants would hit the ground again.

  
Castiel emerged from the bathroom and walked back to his closet. He glanced at the hamper and gulped at the sight of the jacket he jerked off to last night in the hamper. He ignored it and dressed himself in fresh scrubs. He needed to do laundry soon. He was running low on clean scrubs. Once he was dressed, he flicked the light to the closet off and looked at Dean, who was standing patiently next to the bed.   
“You can follow me downstairs and we’ll get you some breakfast.”

  
Dean looked at Castiel and nodded. He followed him down the stairs and into the kitchen. He sat in the seat that was pulled out for him and put his hands in his lap.

  
Castiel opened the fridge and pulled out a large pitcher full of pancake batter. He set it on the counter and put a large pan on the stove.

  
Dean watched and tilted his head slightly. He'd never seen anyone do that, but it was clever.

  
“How old are you, Dean?” Castiel asked.

  
“Oh, I'm twenty.”

  
Castiel nodded.   
“I'm twenty six.”

  
“Isn't that really young to be a doctor?” Dean asked.

  
“Yes, it is very young. I went to an online academy for high school, and I graduated at fifteen. I finished undergrad by eighteen, and I finished led school at twenty three. There are tons of opportunities to complete your education in much shorter periods of time. I was a resident for a year and a half, and then I was hired as the attending physician at the hospital I took you to the other day. I really didn't expect it to happen so fast, but it just did.” He shrugged.

  
Dean listened with wide eyes.   
“You must be really smart.”

  
Castiel grinned slightly.   
“That's very kind of you to say.” He brought a stack of pancakes to Dean’s place and set it in front of him. He got his syrup out of the pantry and set it in front of him.

  
Dean gave a grateful nod and picked up his silverware. He dove into the plate of pancakes and hummed quietly as he ate.

  
Castiel ate his own food and watched Dean. He thought about how he could help him adjust to being out of the auction circle.   
“Do you have any siblings?”

  
Dean paused and nodded.   
“Just one younger brother.”

  
“When was the last time you saw him?”

  
“Five years ago. The day I presented. That's when my dad sold me.”

  
Castiel furrowed his brows.   
“Your father sold you?”

  
Dean nodded.   
“He wanted me to be an alpha. When he found out I wasn't, he got rid of me. I'd just be in the way.”

  
Castiel frowned and shook his head.   
“That's terrible. Why on earth would you be ‘in the way?’”

  
Dean shrugged and looked away. He stuffed his mouth full of pancake.

  
Castiel took that as a sign to stop prying. He looked at the clock and sighed.   
“I have to go to work. I'll be back around six thirty, same time as yesterday. I have the day off tomorrow, so I'll be home all day. There’s plenty to eat in the fridge, so get yourself some lunch this afternoon. I'll bring dinner home.” He gave Dean a small smile as he pulled his shoes on.

  
Dean nodded and looked around a little.   
“I...I could do the housework while you're gone.”

  
Castiel quickly shook his head.   
“No. Remember what I told you yesterday? I don't believe in that gender roles crap. You relax and take care of yourself. Watch some Netflix, take a shower, take a run on the treadmill. Do whatever helps you relax.”

  
Dean blinked several times before nodding. It was still strange to hear that from an alpha.   
“I'll, uh, take a shower.” He turned and quickly walked up the stairs to escape any awkwardness.

  
Castiel watched him go and let out a soft sigh. He picked up his bag and left the house for the hospital. He was barely out of the driveway when his phone rang.   
“Hello?”

  
“Cas! It's Anna. I have a question that you probably don't know the answer to, but hopefully you do. Does Dean have any siblings?”

  
Castiel blinked in surprise.   
“Uh, yeah. He said he has one younger brother. Why do you ask?”

  
“In the middle of the night, this lanky alpha kid came running in covered in blood. We don't have much backstory, but he's really shaken up, and we have a name and age. His name is Sam Winchester and he's sixteen. We got him cleaned up, but we’ve had to call security a few times. He freaks out anytime an alpha comes near him and starts lashing out. See if you can bring Dean. It could be hugely beneficial to both of them to see a family member.” Her voice was rushed and excited at the same time.

  
Castiel immediately turned around and drove back to his house.   
“Thank you for the call. I'll go get him. See you there”

  
“See you.”

  
Castiel hung up and parked in the driveway. He ran inside to catch Dean before he got in the shower.

  
Dean heard Castiel’s running footsteps as he walked into the bathroom and stepped out into the hall to see what was going on. He saw Castiel come running up the stairs.

  
“Dean! Come on, there's something I have to show you.”

  
Dean furrowed his brows and backed up slightly before slowly emerging from the room. He followed Castiel back down the stairs and out to the car. Castiel made him put on a pair of shoes that were a little too big so that his feet wouldn't get cold. Dean sat down in the passenger seat of the car and buckled himself in.

  
Castiel started up the car again with an excited grin. He pulled out of the driveway and started towards the hospital. The drive was silent except for the quiet classical music on the radio. He parked in his spot and hopped out of the car.

  
Dean followed Castiel into the hospital, glancing back and forth at the somewhat familiar faces from his first visit here. He watched Castiel pick up a clipboard and walk straight towards a room. Dean stayed right behind him as the door opened and kept his gaze downcast, especially since loud growling started as soon as Castiel entered.

  
“It's okay, I'm not going to touch you. I brought someone you might know.” Castiel smiled and stepped aside so that Sam could see Dean.

  
Sam stopped growling as soon as he saw Dean. He recognized him, but it wasn't easy to. He didn't look the same at all. The confident, swaggering older brother was hidden by this timid outer shell.  
“Dean?”

  
Dean looked up as soon as he heard the voice and his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. His little brother, the boy he practically raised, and the one he thought he'd never see again, was right there in front of him. He didn't hesitate in running forward and hugging him tightly.

  
Sam threw his arms around Dean and held on for dear life.   
“I thought you were dead…”

  
Dean shook his head and gently rubbed Sam’s back, just like he did when he was still with him.   
“No, it's okay. I'm here. What happened? Are you hurt?” Dean looked him over.

  
Sam shrugged.   
“I'm fine, I guess.”

  
Castiel smiled as he watched them, pleased to see how happy it made both of them to see one another. He looked over his clipboard, and when he saw a note written down, he immediately understood why Sam was growling at all the alphas. He started walking closer, but stopped when Sam turned and growled.

  
Dean shook his head.   
“It's okay. He's not going to hurt you.”

  
Castiel felt a swell of pride when he heard Dean say that. It felt like a huge milestone in gaining Dean’s trust. He looked back to Sam with a small smile.

  
Dean looked at Sam again.   
“Wait, how did you get here from Kansas on your own?”

  
“I jumped in the back of a moving truck. They found me when they parked at that apartment complex across the street. I ran here, because I thought they would chase me into a hospital.” Sam explained.

  
Castiel nodded.   
“That was a smart move, especially with your injury.”

  
Dean frowned. “Injury?”

  
Sam looked down and backed away from Dean. He glanced nervously at Castiel before staring at his hands.

  
Castiel walked out of the room and closed the door to let Sam talk.

  
“Sammy, what happened?”

  
“Well, ever since you ran away, Dad has been all messed up. He was weirdly happy for a while, but then he started getting drunk a lot more often. He did a lot of things. I presented the other day, and I just snapped. I shoved him away and he just started hitting me. He pulled a knife and he got the side of my chest pretty good.” Sam pulled up his hospital gown to show the now stitched-up wound.

  
Dean pulled Sam into a hug, because he instantly understood what John had done to Sam. John was never a good father to them after Mary died. He'd gone so far to beat them and harass them verbally, but there was a line that he crossed every once in awhile that still struck fear into Dean’s heart. An alpha who loses their mate is a dangerous thing. Guilt and anger possesses them for the rest of their lives. Often times, it manifests as some horrible tendency to sexually attack those closest to them in an effort to remember what having a mate was like. Dean did his best to make sure John just found his way to bed instead of trying to rape Dean. It became clear that after Dean was gone, John only had one target left, Sam.

  
Dean’s heart was heavy with guilt. The one person he hoped would never know the horrors of having every last piece of childhood innocence ripped from their body, had been experiencing it for the same amount of time as Dean.

  
Castiel looked over the charts on the clipboard. All the information the nurses had was: “Presented recently (Alpha), laceration on the left side of the chest, rape victim.”  
He sighed. What was it with Winchesters and bad luck? He walked back into the room and slowly approached the bed.   
“I was just looking over this paperwork. We need a legal guardian to take you home, Sam. I w-”

  
“I'll take him. He stays with me.” Dean interrupted Castiel.

  
Castiel sighed.   
“I know how much you want to, but that's a long court case that neither one of you want to go through.”

  
Dean frowned and huffed.   
“He's not going back with our father.” He stood up and stood over Castiel.

  
“Alright, he won't. I promise. Is there anyone else?”

  
Sam looked at Castiel.   
“We have Uncle Bobby. He's not actually our biological uncle, but he’s a legal guardian. He lives in Sioux Falls.”

  
“South Dakota? That's pretty far away from here. Could we call him and see if he can come get you?” Castiel asked.

  
Sam nodded and pulled a phone out of his pocket. There were thirteen missed called from John. He ignored them and went to his contacts. He pulled up Bobby’s number and handed the phone to Castiel.

  
Castiel nodded and gave a small smile.   
“Thank you. You two can catch up for a little while. I'll tell him what's going on.” He stepped outside and clicked on the number. There were only two rings before a gruff voice answer.

  
“Sam?”

  
“Hello. This is Doctor Novak at St. John's Medical Center in Jackson Hole. Sam arrived here last night after hitchhiking in the back of a moving van. He ran away from his father after an altercation, which resulted in a laceration on the side of Sam’s chest. I can't release him without a legal guardian, and his older brother isn't in a state to watch over him.”

  
There was a long pause. Castiel heard a cough and a sigh on the other line.

  
“You have the wrong brother. His older brother died five years ago.” Bobby huffed, running a hand over his face.

  
“No, I have the right Dean. They recognize each other and they're talking together right now. I would tell you where Dean has been, but that's his story to tell.”

  
“I'll be there by tonight. I got a place to stay nearby, so I'll stick around for a while. What have the police done about John?”

  
“We’re working on that. Chances are, he’ll end up in prison for all that he's done.” Castiel paused for a long moment. “The most I’ll say about Dean, is that John sold him into an omega auction ring. He was rescued a few days ago.”

  
Bobby’s heart dropped to his stomach. He never knew that Dean was an omega, let alone that John had the gall to sell Dean like property. He sighed and nodded.   
“Thank you for tellin’ me. That boy is as stubborn as a mule, I never woulda heard anything if you hadn't told me.”

  
“You're welcome, sir.”

  
“Alright. See ya tonight.” Bobby hung up the phone and got up to start packing up for the trip.

  
Castiel turned the phone off and walked back to the hospital room. Sam and Dean were sitting quietly, and it appeared that they hadn't spoken since Castiel left the room.

  
Sam looked up at Castiel and suppressed a growl. He looked away in embarrassment and sighed.

  
“Don't be embarrassed. Your hormones are going to be all over the place for a few days. You'll adjust to them. Your uncle will be here by tonight.” He set the phone on the bed.   
“I have to go check on other patients. I'll have someone bring lunch and dinner for both of you when the time comes.”

  
Sam nodded.   
“Thank you.” He waited until Castiel left the room before looking up at Dean.   
“How long have you two been mated?”

  
Dean blinked in surprise.   
“What? We’re not mated.”

  
Sam furrowed his brows and gestured to the scars of previous marks on Dean’s neck.   
“Then what are those?”

  
Dean put his hand over his neck.  
“Nothing. Just some old scars. I've had them forever.”

  
Sam frowned and stared at Dean. He was nothing like he was before. His voice was softer and less rough. He had a nervous twitch in his hands and his eyes darted around constantly.   
“Does he hurt you?”

  
Dean quickly shook his head.   
“No, no he wouldn't hurt a fly, I think. He's been helping me. I've only known him for the past couple days, but he's been a saint. I've been kind of a dick to him, though.” He shrugged, suddenly feeling guilty about all the crap he made Castiel put up with.

  
Sam nodded and sighed. He knew Dean was lying about something, but he wasn't sure what it was.   
“Well, there's always a chance to make it better.”

  
Dean shrugged again and looked away. He sat silently in thought for a while. Castiel surely didn't deserve to deal with a damaged, stubborn omega with serious self-esteem issues. Sam shouldn't have to see him like this, and Bobby would be mortified to see Dean in this state. He couldn't let his appearance hurt the people he loved. That's when he got an idea that sounded like a great idea to him, but it was all around stupid.   
“I'm gonna go get something to eat.” He stood up and gave Sam a pat on the thigh before leaving the room. No one seemed to question him as he found his way to the elevator, and then to the front of the building. He shivered when the cold wind hit his face, but he took a deep breath and trekked on. This was for the best.

  
~~~

  
Castiel had an incredibly busy work day. He was back and forth across the halls checking on patients. Anna stopped him in the hall that night with an older man by her side.

  
“This is Dr. Novak. He’ll bring you to Sam.” She gave Bobby a smile before going in the opposite direction.

  
Castiel gave Bobby and friendly smile.   
“He's at the end of this hall.” He led Bobby to Sam’s room and opened the door.

  
Sam was asleep for most of the day. He woke up at the sound of the door and sat up.

  
Bobby walked straight up to Sam and hugged him tightly.   
“I'm so sorry, boy.”

  
Sam hugged Bobby back and sighed.

  
Castiel looked around the room and noticed that Dean was missing.   
“Sam, where did Dean go?

  
Sam looked over at Castiel and shrugged.   
“He went to go get something to eat this morning. I assumed that he stayed with you.”

  
Castiel sighed and cursed under his breath.   
“I'm going to try and find him. His discharge papers are on that table. Just sign for him and you can go home. There's also instructions for taking care of his laceration.” He spoke quickly before turning and power walking to the security office.   
“I need the security footage for today. Someone’s gone missing.”

  
“A patient went missing?”

  
“No, former patient, but it's really important that I find him. I think he snuck out around eight this morning.”

  
The security guard nodded and ran the footage back to eight. He ran through it quickly to let Castiel look and stopped once he pointed to the screen. They watched the cameras as Dean walked down the halls, through the lobby, and out the front door.

  
“Damn it. He's going to freeze to death in just a t-shirt. Thank you so much.” He ran out of the room and back to the nurse’s station. He found one of the residents and put his clipboards in his hands.   
“I'm having somewhat of an emergency and I have to go. I trust you to make sure everyone gets taken care of. Good luck.” He clapped the terrified looking resident on the back before bolting out of the back door of the hospital. He got into his car and looked around. Dean could have gone anywhere, and he had hours to wander. He started driving down the main road, looking left and right for any sign of him.

  
After an hour of driving, he was starting to panic. Anything could have happened to Dean in the last ten hours. He started checking some of the outskirts of ranches and farms. He saw a figure in the woods next to the road against the tree and immediately pulled over. He looked through the back of his car and found a fluffy blanket that he used to warm up on cold days. He grabbed it and started scrambling up the hill. As he got closer, he recognized the curled up figure as Dean. He knelt down next to him and wrapped the blanket around him and rubbed his arms vigorously. Dean was shivering hard. His lips were blue and he had frozen tears on his cheeks. Castiel picked him up with ease and put him in the passenger seat of his car. He cranked up the heat to full blast and turned on the seat warmer.   
“What were you thinking? It's twenty degrees out!” He brushed the ice out of Dean’s hair before hugging him tightly.   
“God, I'm so glad you're alright. I had no idea where you went.”

  
Dean couldn't do anything but accept the hug and choke out a sob.   
“I-I’ve been a dick to you, and you d-don’t deserve it. S-Sammy doesn't deserve to see m-me like this, and Bobby doesn't either. I-It would just be better if I was gone!”

  
Castiel shook his head and kept rubbing Dean’s arms to warm him up.   
“Shhh, don't say that. None of this is your fault. You have people who love you, Dean. They want to know you're okay and see you get better. The improvement I've seen in you over the past few days has been incredible. Your family wants to see it too.”

  
Dean buried his face in Castiel’s neck. It felt warm and safe there, and he couldn't deny that he smelled fucking incredible. He couldn't find a response to Castiel’s words, because he had a hard time believing them. It was easier hearing them from Castiel. If it were anyone else, he would have scoffed and rolled his eyes. It felt real and genuine from Castiel.

  
Castiel slowly pulled away from Dean and buckled him in. He closed the car door and walked around to the driver’s side. He got in and looked over at Dean.   
“I think Bobby is pretty anxious to see you. He didn't believe me when I told him you were here, but he was happy to hear that you were okay.”

  
Dean gave a small nod and wrapped the blanket further around himself. The seat warmer felt amazing on his back. He closed his eyes and relaxed into the seat.

  
The drive back to the hospital took about thirty minutes. Castiel took Dean back in through the front. Bobby and Sam were waiting in the lobby.

  
Bobby stood up as soon and he saw Dean and looked him over. The sorrow in his eyes could be seen by anyone. He sighed and pulled Dean into a tight hug.

  
Dean hugged Bobby back, still shivering from how cold he had gotten.

  
“You have no idea how glad I am to see you, boy.” Bobby said quietly as he let Dean go. He looked at Castiel.   
“Is he going to be alright?”

  
Castiel nodded.   
“Minor hypothermia at most. He just needs to get warmed up.”

  
Bobby nodded.   
“I've got a buddy who owes me a favor. He's letting me stay up here for as long as I need.”

  
Dean looked at Bobby and nodded.   
“I’m going to stay with Cas.”

  
Castiel blinked in surprise and stared at Dean for a moment. He was sure that Dean would want to go with his family, but apparently not.

  
Bobby gave an understanding nod.   
“Whatever you need. Just give me a call when you need me.” He pulled a business card out of his breast pocket and handed it to Dean.

  
Sam stood up and hugged Dean again.   
“You scared me. I didn't know where you went.”

  
“ ‘M sorry, Sammy.” Dean answered, patting Sam on the back before pulling away.

  
The two groups parted ways in the parking lot of the hospital, each going to separate cars. Dean got settled in the passenger seat of Castiel’s car, wrapping himself in the fluffy blanket and sighing softly.

  
Castiel started his car up again and proceeded in the drive home. Snow came pouring out of the sky in dancing white flurries of flakes and chunks of icy precipitation. Castiel was well learned in the art of driving in ice and snow. He made it back to his house with ease and parked in the garage.   
“If you don't mind me asking, why did you decide to stay here?”

  
“You've already seen me at my worst. I don't want them to have to deal with me like this. Also, I fucked myself up in the cold, and you seem like you know what you're doing.” Dean spoke quietly, staring at his hands in his lap.

  
Castiel couldn't help but smile just a little. He was incredibly pleased to see Dean speaking without sounding like he was scared out of his mind. He was still quiet, but he wasn't scared of Castiel anymore.   
“Let's get you inside. You need a warm bath. It’s the fastest way to warm you up.”

  
Dean nodded and got out of the car. He followed Castiel into the house.

  
“Go on up to your bathroom. I'll be there in a minute.”

  
Dean nodded again and continued upstairs.

  
Castiel waited until Dean was out of sight before opening up one of his drawers in the kitchen. He fumbled through it before he found what he was looking for. Alpha suppressants. He couldn't have his instincts and emotions getting the better of him any longer. After the night before, he felt like it was the only option. He sighed and opened up the bottle. He swallowed one of the pills dry, even though he knew dry-swallowing wasn't very good for him. He put the bottle back into the drawer and walked upstairs. It would take a few days for the suppressants to really start working, but it could take hours for the side effects to start up. He had to do this for Dean, no matter the cost. Dean came first.

  
Dean left the blanket on the bed and stood in the bathroom. He turned on the bathwater and adjusted the handle until the water was warm enough. He plugged the drain and waited for it to fill up.

  
Castiel walked in and gave a small smile. He felt the water to make sure it wasn't too warm and nodded.

  
Dean took off his shirt and pants. He was very accustomed to stripping in front of new people, so it didn't even faze him. He stepped into the warm water with a slight wince. The temperature change was drastic on his toes. He slowly sank down and let out a sigh of relief at how warm it was.

  
Castiel looked over Dean and swallowed thickly. Dean was perfect in his eyes. Every part of him was beautiful and an absolute work of art. When he saw Dean’s back, his heart ached at the sight of his scars. One wound looked very recent, and very infected. He moved closer and gently touched the inflamed skin around the mark.   
“I need to clean this and get it bandaged. Don't get it wet yet.” He moved to the cabinet under the sink and got out a first aid kit. He kept one in every bathroom, which was probably excessive, but he wanted to have supplies nearby at all times. You never know. He pulled out a square of gauze and moved to see Dean’s back again. He placed a comforting hand on Dean’s back and wiped away the pus from the wound. As he applied pressure, more came out and Dean whimpered with pain.   
“I'm sorry, if I don't get this out, it's going to get worse. Just relax and take deep breaths.” He kept pushing gently until the wound was no longer leaking, but bleeding slightly. He tossed the gauze into the garbage and got out a sterile piece. He cleaned the area with antiseptic before applying an antibiotic cream and dressing the wound. He put waterproof bandages over it so that Dean could bathe normally.   
“I'll check on it again tomorrow. What is that from?” He asked.

  
Dean looked back slightly.   
“A whip.”

  
Castiel frowned and sighed.   
“I can't believe there aren't laws against this. You have every right to be happy and have a nice home. I do hope things get better for omegas. I knew things were bad, but I had no idea things like this happened. I thought abusive alphas were rare. I was so wrong.” Castiel leaned against the wall next to the bathtub and looked over Dean, who turned around to look at him.

  
“It's not like things can just change overnight. No matter how long anyone fights for equality, there's always going to be some asshole who ruins it.”

  
“It can get better, though. I've seen it. Things like the Omega Protection Agency have opened up. Protests have started. It's pretty rural out here, so you don't see much of it, but trust me, things are improving. Hopefully over the next few years, laws will change for the better.”

  
Dean sighed and nodded. Castiel was right. Despite the fact that it seemed bleak on his side, he knew things were getting better for omegas, slowly but surely. Auctions were still legal, but mostly frowned upon. Abuse was overlooked by pretty much everyone. It was still legal to deny service to an alone omega.

  
Castiel knelt next to the tub.   
“I'm going to wash your hair. It's caked in mud.”   
He gently tipped Dean’s head back into the water and wet his hair. Dried blood and dirt came loose and floated in the water. Castiel ran his fingers through Dean’s hair until most of it was gone. He picked up the bottle of shampoo and squirted some into his hands. He worked it into Dean’s hair and hummed quietly.   
“Once we’re done with this, I have clippers in my room. I've cut my own hair for years. How do you like your hair?”

  
Dean closed his eyes at the feeling of Castiel’s fingers working into his scalp. He didn't even hear his question. He just hummed and relaxed into the touch.

  
Castiel smiled and decided to just give Dean a trim so that he didn't look as fluffy. He noticed how much Dean liked getting his hair washed and started massaging his scalp.

  
Dean started to purr softly under Castiel’s touch. Omegas could purr when they were especially happy or content. Alphas could as well, but not nearly as often. They mostly purred to calm their omegas or their pups.

  
Castiel beamed at the sound and kept going. The peaceful look on Dean’s face and the soft purring made Castiel’s heart swell with something that he'd only felt around Dean. Castiel didn't know it yet, but that feeling was love. He was drawn to Dean like a moth to a flame.

  
True mates are rare; rare enough that almost no one believes in them anymore. Certain souls are just perfect for one another. Combined, they become stronger. Castiel was one of the non-believers. He'd never heard of anyone finding their true mate, so he didn't think they were real. Dean, predictably, was also a non-believer. He used to think all alphas were evil, of course he wouldn't believe in finding someone that made him better and stronger. The two had no idea that they were meant to be together. Both were in complete denial of it. Dean refused to let himself get attached, even though he was already hopelessly stuck to Castiel, who reached the point of suppressing his instincts to block out his feelings for the omega.

  
Castiel finished washing Dean’s hair and tipped his head back to rinse the soap out. Dean’s hair went from a deep brown from dirt and blood to his natural light, almost sandy brown. His hair was still shaggy and in his face, but that was soon to be fixed. He pulled the plug for the drain and let the water out. He pulled a towel off of the rack and wrapped it around Dean’s shoulders.   
“I'll get some clean clothes for you. This weekend, we’ll go clothes shopping and get some that fit you.” He stood up and walked into his own closet. He grabbed an old t-shirt and a pair of boxers for Dean. He brought them back and found Dean drying his hair. He set the clothes down on the counter and gave a gentle smile.   
“I’m going to just order a pizza for dinner. What toppings do you like?”

  
“Pepperoni?”

  
Castiel nodded.   
“Of course.” He stepped out of the room to give Dean some privacy as he got dressed. He pulled out his phone and ordered a large pizza, half pepperoni, half hawaiian. It would take a little while to get there because of the falling snow, but nothing he couldn't handle.

  
Dean came out of the bathroom. The t-shirt was a little baggy, but it fit just fine.

  
Castiel smiled at Dean.   
“The pizza will be here in about an hour. We can go watch a movie downstairs. I'll light a fire in the fireplace to keep you warm.”

  
Dean nodded and followed Castiel down to the living room. He watched him turn the gas on and light the fire. He was close enough to already feel its warmth.

  
Castiel sat down on the couch and turned on Netflix. He scrolled idly through suggested movies to find something they would both enjoy.

  
Dean walked over to the couch and sat down next to Castiel. He could feel the other’s body warmth from a distance. He closed his eyes and scooted right up next to Castiel.

  
Castiel looked at Dean in surprise before slowly wrapping an arm around him and holding him against his side.

  
Dean rested his head on Castiel’s chest as he watched him scroll through different movies.

  
“Anything look good?”

  
Dean shrugged.   
“I haven't really watched anything in years. You pick.”

  
Castiel nodded and looked around for something good. He decided one of his favorite movies, The Imitation Game.   
“This is one of my favorites. It's set in World War Two England.”

  
Dean nodded and watched the screen as the movie began to play. He purred quietly, content to be surrounded in Castiel’s warmth.

  
Halfway through the movie, the doorbell rang. Castiel stood up and walked to the door. He paid for the pizza and tipped the delivery boy before walking back to the couch. He set the pizza box in his lap and opened it up.

  
Dean grabbed a slice of pepperoni pizza and took a large bite. He was completely invested in the movie at this point.

  
Castiel picked up a slice of Hawaiian pizza and began eating as well. He leaned back against the couch and let out a happy sigh as the movie continued.

  
By the time the movie was over, the two had finished most of the pizza. Castiel put the box in the fridge and led Dean back upstairs. He started to take him into his room, but Dean stopped.

  
“Wait. Um, is it okay if I...sleep with you?”

  
Castiel gave him an understanding smile and nodded.   
“Of course.” He turned to walk into this own room and into the bathroom. He did his business, washed his hands, and brushed his teeth. He gave Dean one of his extra toothbrushes to brush his teeth with. Once they had finished with that, Castiel got out his clippers and a comb. He trimmed the sides and back into a nice fade and left the top a little longer. He brushed the hair off of Dean’s neck and chest with a smile.   
“You look good.”

  
Dean looked into the mirror and nodded. He looked much more like his old self. He always had a crew cut, but he liked this better.

  
Castiel shook out Dean’s shirt to get the rest of the hair off of him before nodding to himself.

  
The pair walked to the bed and climbed in. The mattress was the same as the one in Dean’s room, nice and plush, but not too soft that it would hurt your back. Castiel got settled on his side of the bed, while Dean curled right up against Castiel, snuggling into his chest and burying his face in the alpha’s neck. He noticed that something was off with his scent, as if something was masking it. He frowned slightly, but decided to ignore it. He could still be comforted by Castiel’s scent that was left. He closed his eyes as he felt Castiel’s arm wrap around him and hold him like a precious treasure. It felt like...home. He was able to fall asleep with ease, surrounded by the alpha that he was slowly falling in love with. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Imitation Game is my personal favorite. Keira Knightley is one of my favorite actresses ever, and she's amazing in that movie. If you haven't seen it. Go watch it now! It's so worth it.


	5. Connection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the delay in posting this. I was super busy over the holidays, and the new semester hit me like a train. I finally got my shit together and wrote this. All mistakes are my own. I will be doing fine editing on grammar/spelling soon.

Dean woke up in the middle of the night, sweat dripping from his forehead. He was hot all over and he felt completely empty. He panted and wriggled away from Castiel and off of the bed. He scrambled into the bathroom and locked the door. He curled into a ball on the cool tiles, which didn't provide much relief. He had slick soaking his boxers and running down his thighs. He whimpered and shook his head in disbelief as he started to cry. His heat was always a time of fear and pain. He could still smell Castiel on his own shirt and it hurt like hell. He wanted the alpha there to hold him and take care of him, but at the same time, he knew what happened to good alphas when they smelled an omega in heat. It was far too common for alphas to become aggressive as soon as they caught the smell. Dean pressed himself against the back corner and clawed at his own shirt, squirming and silently begging for relief.

  
Castiel shifted in his sleep and suddenly caught a whiff of the scent of Dean’s slick on the sheets. His eyes snapped open and he looked at the empty spot in the bed. He saw that the bathroom door was closed and gulped. What was he supposed to do? Dean was probably miserable in there, but he couldn't just take advantage of him in this vulnerable state. He got out of bed and rubbed his face. He felt that primal pull in his chest to go take care of his-no, /the/ omega hiding in the bathroom. The want and need was dampened by the suppressants he had taken the night before. He'd need something much stronger if he wanted to keep from pouncing on Dean as soon as the door opened. He had to get out now if he wanted Dean to be safe.

  
He jogged down the stairs and pulled out his suppressants again. They were similar to birth control in that you could take a double dose and skip a day if needed. Castiel took two pills and grabbed several bottles of water from the fridge. He got out a grocery bag and filled it with supplies to help Dean. Water, ice packs, energy bars, snacks, and Gatorade. The electrolytes and sugar would balance out the loss of minerals that was caused by the profuse sweating. He carried the bag back up the stairs and to his room. He went ahead and assumed Dean locked the door and got a clothes hanger out of the closet. After straightening the hook, he was able to poke it through the small hole in the knob and push the lock out of position. He opened the door and started breathing through his mouth. The scent hit him like a train and he had to regain his composure. He knelt down to be closer to Dean’s height and sighed at the sight of him curled into the corner.  
“Hey, I'm not going to do anything. I've started taking suppressants. I brought you some things to help. You need to drink lots of water, and this Gatorade. I brought some snacks and energy bars too. Come on out of there. You can stay in your room for the duration of your heat.”

  
Dean stared at Castiel with watery eyes, staring at him with desperation. He squirmed and whimpered.  
“Please…”

  
Castiel frowned and shook his head.  
“I'm sorry, I can't. Your hormones are messing with you. Your body is going through some major changes. I didn't think you'd go into heat so soon after a miscarriage, but maybe sleeping in the same bed as me set something off. Actually, this might explain why you wandered into my bed last night. ” He said quietly as he picked up a washcloth from the counter and wet it in the sink. He pressed the cool cloth against the side of Dean’s neck.

  
Dean instantly leaned into the touch and purred softly. The cool cloth felt incredible on his overheated neck, and the proximity of Castiel helped him to calm down a little. His mind was completely scattered, trapped in limbo. Part of him was terrified of his heat and what Castiel might do to him, and the other part desperately wanted Castiel to take care of him. The first part took control and he backed away into the corner.

  
“Dean, it's okay. I'm on suppressants. I'm not going to do anything.” Castiel didn't believe himself. He was seconds away from pouncing on Dean like a wild animal, but seeing him so terrified held him back.

  
Dean slowly moved towards Castiel and crawled into his lap, burying his face in the alpha’s chest and choking out a sob.

  
Castiel wrapped his arms around Dean and rubbed his back.  
“Shhhh. It's okay. I've got you.” He took several deep breaths, doing his best to avoid the painful tug in his chest. His mind was clouded over from the intense smell of Dean’s heat and he felt like he might pass out if he didn't do anything. His hands gently ran through Dean’s hair and massaged his back.

  
They stayed right there for hours, just rocking back and forth. Dean managed to fall asleep after all that time. It wasn’t a peaceful sleep, but at least he was resting. Castiel carried him back to the bed and set up a fan next to him to keep him from getting too hot. The alpha walked down stairs and leaned against the wall, breathing in the fresh air. He was light-headed and nauseous, a common side-effect of the suppressants. He started considering every option possible in his head. He could just wait everything out, but that would be miserable for everyone involved. He could give Dean what he wants and knot him, but it felt wrong to initiate a relationship like that. Dean was too vulnerable like this. There were other options. He could go out and get a fake knot or something to help Dean through his heat. A last ditch effort would be an injection that would stop Dean’s heat and hold it off until the next cycle came. They could cause damage to the reproductive system, which is why Castiel considered it a last ditch effort.

  
The injections were mostly used for health reasons, and required a prescription. Luckily, Castiel can write one for Dean if needed. He already planned on finding a birth control for him, so that this wouldn't happen again. Dean needed time to heal before he considered heats and pregnancy, especially after a miscarriage. After a long period of thought, Castiel decided that the injection was the best option. Dean needed time to recover mentally before he had to go through his heat.

  
Castiel nodded to himself before walking back upstairs. He grabbed a protein granola bar and a bottle of water and sat down on the bed. He gently sat Dean up.  
“Dean, I'm going to go get some medicine to make this stop. You need time to recover before you have to go through this. I'm going to leave for a little while. The pharmacy is just down the street, so I won't be long. Before I go, I want you I eat some of this and drink this water.”

  
Dean gave a weak whimper when he was woken up, but he was awake enough to understand Castiel. He looked up at him and gave a small nod to show that he understood.

  
Castiel opened the bar and put it into Dean’s hand.  
“It's chocolate and peanut butter flavored. Do you have any allergies?”

  
Dean shook his head and nibbled at the bar. He knew that Castiel would want him to eat the whole bar, so he forced himself to take larger bites until he had finished the entire thing. It was good, but he was too far gone in his heat to appreciate it. He took the water bottle when it was offered to him and chugged a little more than half of it.

  
Castiel gently ran his fingers through Dean’s hair and set the bottle down on the bedside table.  
“Try to keep yourself comfortable while I'm gone. You can do whatever you need to to get through this. I'll be back soon.” He slowly got up out of bed, pulling Dean’s clinging hands off of his shirt and setting them on the bed.  
“It's okay, I'll be back in a few minutes.” He thought for a moment before going through the hamper and grabbing a shirt he wore a few days ago. He handed to Dean, who immediately pressed it to his face and inhaled Castiel’s scent. The alpha gave a small smile before leaving the room. He grabbed his keys and wallet off of the counter before running out to his car.

  
The drive to the nearby pharmacy wasn't pleasant. A snowstorm came in overnight and it was still going. Luckily, Jackson Hole was fast at clearing the roads. Castiel made it to the pharmacy and went straight back to the pharmacist. He explained what was going on and asked for the injection. The pharmacist was understanding and got one of them off of a back shelf. Castiel paid full price for it and thanked the pharmacist before running back out to his car. He got stuck behind a snowplow, which delayed him by about twenty minutes.

  
Once he made it home, he wasted no time in searching his drawers. He got out sterile alcohol, a pair of nitrile gloves, a cotton ball, and a little bandaid. He ran up the stairs and into the room without a second thought.

  
Nothing would have stopped the possessive growl that emanated from Castiel’s throat. On the bed, Dean was on his stomach with his ass in the air, whining and desperately fingering himself. Castiel nearly dropped everything in his hands. Every instinct screamed ‘fuck mate breed mine my omega.’ He took a deep breath and started walking over.

  
Dean had his head turned away until he heard the growl. He looked at Castiel with eyes that screamed for him to do something. He whimpered and shifted on his knees before dropping and curling up into a ball. He trembled in absolute terror as he cried into Castiel’s shirt.

  
Castiel sat down on the bed and gently ran a hand through Dean’s hair.  
“Shhhh, don't cry, love. I'm not going to do anything. I'm sorry I growled. It just happened. I've got the medicine for you. I need you to sit up and lean against the headboard for me. This should kick in in less than a minute.”

  
Dean leaned into Castiel’s touch and nodded before doing as he was told. He leaned against the headboard and tried to hold still.

  
Castiel gave Dean a warm smile and pulled on the gloves. He poured some sterile alcohol onto the cotton ball before cleaning a small area on Dean’s upper arm. He opened the box and put the syringe together. He checked the dosage and drew the proper amount into the syringe. He made sure to get rid of the air bubbles before injecting Dean with the clear fluid. He pulled the syringe out and put it back into the box to discard properly later. He put the bandaid on over the small spot. He put everything aside and pulled Dean into a hug. He tucked the omega’s head under his chin and held him there.

  
Dean curled against Castiel’s chest and closed his eyes. The injection sent a cold wave through his body. Slowly, he cooled down and his desperation for a knot went away. He felt incredibly drowsy and his eyelids became heavier and heavier.  
“ ‘M really tired…”

  
Castiel nodded. “It's a side effect. Just close your eyes and sleep. Get some rest.”

  
Dean gave a tiny nod and curled up against Castiel’s chest. His eyes fell closed and his entire body slumped. He was asleep in mere minutes.

  
Castiel hummed and gently laid Dean back on the bed. He tucked him in and looked over the omega with a small smile. Dean really was the most beautiful omega he'd ever met, inside and out. Castiel was seeing more and more of Dean’s personality with every moment. There was definitely some sass, a lot of charm, and Castiel was excitedly awaiting to see a full smile from Dean. He knew it would be absolutely beautiful.

  
Castiel stood up and stepped out of the room. He closed the door and pulled out his phone. He still had Bobby’s number saved, so he decided to give him a call. It was only ten am, so it was still early in the day. The phone rang twice before Bobby answered.

  
“Is this Dr. Novak?”

  
“Yes sir, and you can call me Castiel. I just wanted to let you know what happened this morning. Dean woke up in the middle of the night in heat, and I went out and got a medication that stops his heat. He's in no condition to go through that right now. He's asleep at the moment, but he should be awake soon. I'll drive to you, since I've been driving on these roads for years. They’ll be cleared off by the time I leave. Is there any preferable time?”

  
“Whenever Dean’s ready, we’re ready. I'll text you the address. The roads outside of the cabin have just been cleared, and I'm about to go shovel and salt the driveway.”

  
“Alright. I'll text you before we leave.

  
“Sounds good. See ya then.”

  
Cas hung up and slipped his phone into his pocket. He walked down the stairs to get some breakfast ready and turned on the morning news. He hummed as he started making pancakes for him and Dean. A familiar name on the television made him look at the television and listen to the reporter.

  
“A man by the name of John Winchester has just filed a police report after he was attacked by his newly presented son. The only injuries Winchester has are a couple bruises, but the apartment had large amounts of blood on the floors and surfaces. There is currently an ongoing search for the teenager. Here is the latest photo of him. If you see him, please contact the police. He is supposedly armed and dangerous.”

  
Castiel’s eyes widened and he grabbed his phone again. He called Bobby immediately and chewed his lip.

  
“Hello?”

  
“Mr. Singer, I just had the news on, and there's a police search going on, and they're looking for Sam. I can see their father on the television, and he doesn't look bad at all. A couple bruises, but that's it. He told the police that Sam is armed and dangerous.”

  
Bobby huffed.  
“That son of a bitch...Can you tell them what really happened so that John gets arrested for what he did to these boys?”

  
Castiel nodded.  
“With Sam’s consent, I can tell them everything. I'll get Dean dressed and we’ll go to the hospital. I'll call the number they gave and tell them that I treated him there and prove what really happened. If they want to see Sam’s file, they can come see it for themselves. We can get this worked out.”

  
Bobby sighed and nodded.  
“Thanks for all your help, kid. I'll meet you there.”

  
“You should stay where you are. I'll come to you. If people think Sam is a criminal, we shouldn't take him out in public.” The phone beeped as Bobby hung up. Castiel sighed and packed up the pancakes into a Tupperware container. He jogged up the stairs and gently shook Dean.  
“Dean, we need to go to the hospital. I need to go get Sam’s file. You can sleep in the car if you want.”

  
Dean’s eyes blinked open and he looked up at Castiel. He gave a tired nod and stood up out of bed.

  
Castiel gathered up a simple and comfortable outfit for Dean and handed it to him.  
“Get dressed quickly. I packed some food for us to eat in our way there.”

  
Dean nodded and pulled on the clothing he was given. He was woozy and exhausted. All he wanted to do was lie back down and sleep, but he heard Sam’s name at some point, so he knew it was important. Once he was dressed, he stood up and rubbed his eyes.

  
Castiel gestured for Dean to follow him down the stairs. He walked into the kitchen and grabbed their food.

  
Dean followed him to the kitchen and out to the car. He got into the passenger seat and buckled himself in before closing his eyes to sleep.

  
Castiel glanced over at Dean and smiled softly. He looked so peaceful, and he knew that right now, Dean was able to forget about everything that had happened to him and just rest.

  
Castiel looked back at the road just in time to see an eighteen-wheeler barreling down the road, skidding on the ice and coming straight for him. He swerved to get out of the way, but it was too late. There was a loud crash of metal and then everything went black.

  
The car was sent skidding down the road and off into a pile of powdered snow. Only the hood was visible from the road. The eighteen-wheeler fell on its side and finally stopped. The sight on the road was terrifying, and witnesses were already calling 911. Inside the car, Castiel and Dean were both knocked unconscious by the blow. With the swerve, Dean took most of the hit. His side of the car was smashed in, pushing him to the center of the car and pinning his legs in the twisted metal.

  
Castiel wasn't in much better shape. With the length of his torso and how close he sat to the steering wheel, he had hit his head on the top of it. A steady little stream of blood flowed from the impact point.

  
Dean was the first to come to. He didn't have as much head trauma as Castiel. He blinked and looked at Castiel. He was so drowsy from the injection that he let out a meager shout as a cry for help. He couldn't move his legs, and he was in a state of shock from everything. From his perspective, Castiel looked dead. He was limp with blood dripping down his face. All Dean could do was sob. He thought the one good person he'd found, and even started to fall in love with, was dead.

  
Of course, Castiel wasn't dead, but at that point, Dean didn't know that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for that cliffhanger, but I've had that planned for a while! Don't worry, I'll have the next chapter out soon. :)


	6. Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the best shit I've ever written. There might be a few typos, but they will be fixed when I go back to edit. 
> 
> Here's a nice, happy chapter for all of you.

Castiel woke up in a familiar place, but in an unfamiliar position. He was lying in a hospital bed with a bandage around his head. He blinked and saw that the rest of his body was relatively unscathed. He thought back to when everything went wrong. He was driving, and then the truck hit...It was in that moment that he remembered Dean. His eyes went wide and he tried to move his head. He realized that he had a cervical collar on and couldn't turn his head. The heart rate monitor started beeping faster as Castiel tried to look for Dean.

  
A nurse happened to be walking by when he noticed Castiel’s fast heart rate. He walked in and ran over to calm him down.  
“Dr. Novak, it's alright. You were in a car crash. Your airbags failed and didn't go off. You have a pretty bad concussion, so we put the cervical collar on to keep your head still in case you panicked.” He tried to say everything as fast as possible so that Castiel could calm down, but it didn't seem to be helping much.

  
Castiel coughed to clear his throat.  
“Dean...Where’s Dean?”

  
The nurse raised an eyebrow.  
“The omega that was in the car with you? He's alright. He's pretty bruised up, but you actually cushioned him, so aside from a few scratches on his legs, he's fine. His mate came and got him a while ago.”

  
Castiel instantly relaxed when he heard that Dean was alright, but he furrowed his brows at the word, “mate”.  
“Mate? He isn't mated. I just pulled him out of a omega auction ring. What was the alpha’s name?”

  
“It started with an A...Allen, no, it was Alastair. The omega went with him pretty willingly, so I don't think anything sinister was going on.”

  
Castiel tried to shake his head, but he couldn't move much with the cervical collar. Even the tiny movement caused throbbing pain in his head.  
“You must have seen all of the scars on him, they're mostly from Alastair. He runs the whole thing. I have to go find him.” Castiel sat up, which made him groan in pain.

  
The nurse gently laid Castiel back down, but took the cervical collar off, since he knew Castiel would know to hold still.  
“You need to rest. You know that. Is there anyone we can call for you?”

  
Castiel sighed and closed his eyes for a moment.  
“Michael Novak. His number is written on the emergency contact list in my office.” He stared up at the ceiling, his heart still pounding. The thought of another alpha having his hands on Dean made his blood boil.

  
The nurse nodded and left the room to go find the number.

  
Castiel stayed as still as possible to avoid the headache, but he was so anxious that he had to sit up. He slowly rose to a sitting position and looked at his arm. He carefully removed the IV that was giving him fluids and started looking for his clothes. He was only in his boxer-briefs and a hospital gown. He saw his sweatshirt and jeans on the chair next to the bed and grabbed them. He pulled the jeans on first and made an attempt to stand. He wobbled slightly, but he was able to steady himself. He put on his sweatshirt and sat down again to put his shoes on.

  
The nurse walked back in.  
“We called Michael-wait, what are you doing? You're supposed to be lying down. You haven't been discharged yet.”

  
“I discharge myself. I have to go find Dean.”

  
“You can't do that. You're a patient right now.”

  
“I'm also very well-acquainted with your boss. Go get my discharge papers signed.” Castiel snapped, glaring at the nurse.

  
The nurse blinked and backed out of the room to go find the doctor that had treated Castiel. He found Doctor Murphy and gulped.  
“Uh, Dr. Murphy? Dr. Novak is demanding his discharge papers. He's getting a little aggressive, all over the omega he arrived here with.”

  
Doctor Murphy raised an eyebrow.  
“Was it the same omega he rescued?”

  
“I don't know. I wasn't here when that happened.”

  
“It probably was. Where did that omega go?”

  
“Oh, his alpha came and got him.”

  
“That omega was unmated. I get why he’s worried, then. Well, if he demands to be released, we have to release him. It’s the law. Go make sure he doesn’t hurt himself. I’ll get his papers.”

  
The nurse nodded in understanding and walked back to Castiel’s room. He found him using his shattered phone to talk to Michael and tell him to pick him up as fast as possible. Once the had hung up, the nurse spoke again.  
“Doctor Murphy is getting your discharge papers. You should still sit down. Once the painkillers we gave you wear off, you’ll be really sore.”

  
Castiel nodded and sighed. “I'm well aware.”

  
Doctor Murphy brought the discharge papers in and handed the clipboard to Castiel. She didn't bother telling him anything, knowing that he would know exactly what to do.

  
Castiel signed his name and gave a small smile to Doctor Murphy.  
“Thank you. I'll be out of your hair now. I just have to make sure my friend is safe. The man he went with is very dangerous.”

  
Doctor Murphy smiled back.  
“I know you're worried, but he only left about ten minutes ago, so he won't be far away. Also, I think he's a little more than just a friend. You reek of possessive alpha.” She grinned and held out a hand for him.  
“Come on, buddy. Let's get you down to the lobby.”

  
Castiel blinked at her comment, but he took her hand to steady himself as he was led out to the lobby. He still felt wobbly and his head was throbbing, but he could care less. He just wanted Dean. He sat down in one of the chairs in the lobby to wait for Michael.  
“How bad is my car?”

  
“Totaled. The entire passenger side was smashed in and the front crumbled in the ditch. Your insurance will probably cover part of it. That truck driver was on heroin. He went way too fast and lost traction, which is how he hit you. You'll probably get financial compensation from the trucking company,” Doctor Murphy explained.

  
Castiel nodded.  
“Thank you for everything.”

  
“It's no problem. Also, I'm going to ask that you stay home for a week. With your concussion, you need as much rest as possible. I’m covering your shifts.”

  
Castiel smiled.  
“That's very kind of you. Thank you.”

  
“Any time. Take care of yourself and your omega.” She grinned and left the room.

  
Castiel watched out the window for Michael’s car, tapping his foot anxiously. It was only a few minutes later when Michael arrived. Castiel pulled himself to his feet and walked out to his car without waiting for him to come inside.

  
“Jesus, Cassie, what happened?”

  
“A truck driver on heroin. Look, I have to find this omega. He won't be far away, but he's in danger.”

  
Michael nodded. “You said that on the phone earlier. I'll help you find him and then you're going home to rest.” He got back into the car and buckled himself back in.

  
Castiel got into the passenger seat and buckled in.  
“Turn left out of the hospital and just keep going. I think I know where he's being taken.”

  
Michael nodded and did as he was told. He looked around at the other cars as he drove.  
“Do you know what kind of car he's in?”

  
Castiel shook his head.  
“No idea. I was unconscious when he left. Just keep going.”

  
Michael sighed and nodded.  
“You know, it would be nice to know what's going on. I haven't seen you in months.”

  
Castiel sighed.  
“I'm sorry. I'm just all freaked out. So a few days ago, the Chief of Medicine at the hospital invited me to lunch. Of course I went, he's my boss. After we went there, he took us to this auction house. They sold omegas. I had never seen anything so horrible in my entire life. There was this one that looked the worst out of all of them. I couldn't just leave him there. I paid for him and took him to the hospital. He had been sold around since he was fifteen, and he had just miscarried. His last alpha was Lucifer. He wouldn't say his name, but when I showed him a picture of our family, he freaked out and pointed to Lucifer, saying that he was the last alpha to have him. Lucifer sold Dean after he miscarried. I've been doing everything I can for him. I found his younger brother and a family member. I need to call them. They're probably wondering where we are. I was at the hospital to get the file for the younger brother. He ran away from home after he presented, and I just saw their father on the news claiming that he was armed and dangerous. The poor kid came to the hospital with a large laceration. I was going to give his file to the police, so that I could prove his innocence and get his father thrown in jail. The truck hit while I was on my way to the hospital. I don't know why Dean went with this guy, but I know that he didn't want to. He's terrified of him.”

  
Michael shook his head.  
“Jesus, you've been busy. I knew Luce was shitty, but I didn't know he had gotten that bad.” He sighed. “You're doing good, Cassie. You remind me a lot of Mom. She was the same way about things. She was always trying to help people, until Dad threw her out.”

  
Castiel gave a small smile.  
“Are you guys still looking for her?”

  
Michael nodded.  
“We never stopped. She's out there somewhere.”

  
Castiel sighed and nodded. Michael had an obsession with finding their mother. Once she was done having kids, she was thrown out of the house. They never knew where she went.

  
Castiel saw a white van and narrowed his eyes.  
“Follow that van. I saw it in the parking lot of the auction house. I think that's him.”

  
Inside the van, Dean was curled up in the back. He had a tattered leather collar cinched around his neck way too tight. It was hell, but it was familiar. It was all Dean knew. He cried silently as he held the shirt that Alastair let him hold onto for now. It's still smelled like Castiel. He held onto it like it was his only lifeline in this world. The van made a sharp turn and Dean hit the wall with a sob. The beta in the passenger seat reached back and smacked Dean with a switch.

  
“Keep quiet!”

  
Dean pressed the shirt to his face and kept as quiet as possible. The only sounds that came from him were his heavy breaths and tiny whimpers. The van came to a stop and he heard murmuring from the front seat.

  
Suddenly, Alastair got out of the car and walked around to the back of the van. Dean listened with a confused expression. What had them so freaked out? He moved away from the doors when he heard loud growls and punches being thrown. A body hit the door of the van before hitting the icy ground. The door was thrown open and Dean hid his face in the shirt, terrified of whoever was rushing towards him. Strong arms wrapped around him and tucked his head under a chin. Dean recognized the scent and looked up to see Castiel. Dean stared in disbelief as he was carried out of the van and to another car.  
“Y-you're dead…”

  
Castiel furrowed his brows and looked at Dean.  
“I'm not dead. I just hit my head.” He noticed the collar and quickly took it off, throwing it to the ground.  
“I am never going to let them take you away ever again. I want you to be my omega, Dean, but only if you want me to be your alpha.”

  
Dean stared up at Castiel with tear filled eyes and nodded quickly. He grabbed fistfuls of Castiel’s shirt and buried his face in his neck. Everything seemed to come back together from shattered pieces. He never thought someone as amazing as Castiel could ever want him. All his life, he thought only the shittiest of alphas could want him. Now, he knew he wasn't just a piece of meat to Castiel. He felt loved and protected in his arms, and he wished that Castiel would never let go.

  
Castiel held Dean tighter and kissed the top of his head.  
“Let's go home. I'll call around and make sure Sam is proved innocent.”

  
Michael watched the interaction from the rear view mirror. He smiled at them, because now the car reeked of loving mates. They weren't mated...yet, but from the looks of it, that wasn't very far off. He started the car and began the drive to Castiel’s house to get those two lovebirds home.

  
~~~

  
Castiel didn't even realize that they were home. He was too focused on showering Dean in all of the affection he could give. It took a tap on the knee from Michael to make him come back to reality. He opened the car door and stepped out with Dean still in his arms. He carried him into the house and went straight to the couch to sit down.

  
Michael followed them in and made sure they got settled.  
“Call me if you need anything. I won't be far away.”

  
Castiel looked back at Michael.  
“Thank you. I will.”

  
Michael nodded and gave a small wave before leaving the house.

  
Castiel turned his attention back to Dean and finally got a good look at his legs. They were scratched up and bruised all over. There were several patches of gauze that covered larger wounds. Castiel gently ran his fingers over the gauze and sighed.

  
Dean kept his arms tightly wrapped around Castiel’s neck. He scented him without a care in the world. He only stopped when a single finger hooked under his chin and tilted his head up. Soft, loving lips met his in a tender kiss. Dean’s entire body melted into the kiss.

  
Castiel held Dean tightly to his chest and kissed him slowly and softly. It wasn't rushed or passionate. It was simply exploratory and loving. When Castiel pulled back, he saw something beautiful. Dean had the most genuine, happy smile that he'd ever seen. He stared in awe before leaning in to kiss him again with more confidence.

  
Surprisingly, it was Dean who had the most confidence. He shifted until he was nearly on top of Castiel and pressed his chest against the alpha’s. He grabbed fistfuls of Castiel's shirt and held on for dear life.

  
Castiel was surprised at Dean’s sudden movements, but he embraced it wholly. He held onto Dean’s hip with one hand and the back of his neck with the other. This kiss was much more passionate and fast-paced. The two stayed attached for who knows how long. The only thing to break them apart was the sound of Castiel’s house phone ringing.

  
Dean pulled back before nuzzling into Castiel’s neck to let him answer the phone.

  
Castiel chuckled softly and picked up the phone. It was Bobby, asking if they were alright. Castiel explained everything and said that he was going to get this Sam situation sorted out. Bobby said that he had already contacted the police and told them everything. They were at the house asking Sam some questions. By the looks of it, it seemed like John was about to get arrested for false claims and attacking his son. Castiel smiled and nodded and told Bobby that they were welcome to come over at any time. Once they hung up, Dean looked up at Castiel.

  
“Is Sammy alright?”

  
“He's great. Bobby talked to the police, and by the looks of it, John will be arrested for what he's done.”

  
Dean nodded with a small smile.  
“Good.” He paused for a moment and hummed before sitting up to look at Castiel. “Could we take what we were doing upstairs?”

  
Castiel raised an eyebrow.  
“You sure?”

  
Dean nodded with a grin.  
“If I wasn't sure, I wouldn't ask.”

  
Castiel was astounded by this sudden switch that had gone off in Dean’s brain and brought out his true colors. Castiel knew that he had done something right. He nodded and hooked his hands under Dean’s thighs. He picked him up and carried him up the stairs to his bedroom. He very gently laid Dean down on the bed and climbed on top of him. Their lips connected again in a passionate kiss.

  
Castiel had a brief thought about his concussion. He usually tells his patients to rest and avoid physical activity. It was a bit hypocritical of him to be doing this, but this seemed like a good reason to be that way.

  
Dean’s hands immediately went to work in exploring. He ran his hands over Castiel’s back, tracing each defined muscle. Castiel was all lean muscle and pale skin, a perfect runner’s body. Dean’s fingers made their way under Castiel’s shirt and up his chest. He grabbed the shirt and tugged to get it off of Castiel, who chuckled and pulled back to eat his shirt off. His hands started to copy Dean’s. His fingers danced over the skin under Dean’s shirt, exploring every last inch. He eventually removed Dean’s shirt as well to get the best possible view. The omega was riddled with scars of all sorts, but Castiel found every inch of him to be absolutely beautiful and perfect. He leaned down and started pressing kisses all over Dean’s neck, shoulders, and chest.

  
Dean let out a soft noise of content pleasure as he closed his eyes and relished in the feeling of Castiel’s lips all over his skin. He was surrounded in the alpha’s scent in his bed, and the leftover smell from his heat got him hot and bothered much faster than usual.

  
Castiel could smell Dean’s arousal, which only jump started his own. He glanced down to see Dean pushing down his own pants. Castiel reached down and helped Dean get completely undressed. With more of Dean exposed, Castiel had more skin to press loving kisses to. He hummed as he kissed all over Dean’s hips and bruised thighs. He was extra tender on his legs to avoid hurting him. As he kissed around Dean’s hips, he was rewarded with an impatient whine and a hand pulling his hair. He looked up at Dean with a grin.  
“I hear you. I'm just taking my time, love.” He ignored the tugging of his hair and stayed away from the one area Dean so desperately wanted him to be.

  
“Caaaa-aaaasssss…” Dean squirmed and pulled on Castiel’s hair harder.

  
Castiel felt the extra tug and when he heard Dean’s moan, he growled and shifted a bit. He crawled up Dean’s body to get to his drawer. Before he reached for it, he turned to Dean.  
“Do you have a latex allergy?”

  
Dean blinked back at Castiel before his head fell back and he burst out into a fit of laughter.

  
Castiel stared, not just because Dean was laughing at him, but because Dean not only smiled, but genuinely laughed.  
“What did I do?”

  
“I’m sorry, but there is no better way to temporarily ruin the mood than you asking about my allergies. No, I'm not allergic to latex. You should definitely use a condom. I don't know what I have at this point.”

  
Castiel gave a soft smile and pulled a condom out of his drawer.  
“We took your blood at the hospital. You're clean, but I'm not taking any chances with you. You were in heat this morning, so there's a chance you could still be fertile.”

  
Dean nodded and gave a small sigh of relief at the news that he was clean.  
“Okay, enough talk, more touch.” He grabbed Castiel by the face and pulled him into a rough kiss. Quickly, the control shifted from Dean to Castiel. The trust balance shifted as Dean put his trust in Castiel, knowing that the alpha would take good care of him.

  
Gentle fingers ran down Dean’s thigh and slowly approached a wet ass and hole. The slightest touch made Dean gasp and squirm a little more.

  
“Relax. Take several deep breaths. Just relax and feel. I'm right here, and you can always tell me no. I'll understand entirely if you don't want to do this right now.”

  
Dean shook his head.  
“I want to do this now. I'll try to relax.” He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

  
Castiel gently ran his fingers across Dean’s cheek and kissed him again.  
“Look at me, love. Don't tune out. Just feel and watch.” He had assumed that Dean taught himself to tune everything like this out and to just hang on for the ride. He wanted to show him that this could be incredible and loving, unlike anything Dean had known.

  
Dean blinked up at Castiel and nodded. He felt another hand gently trailing up his thigh and his breath hitched slightly in anticipation. A slender finger ran through the slick soaking his entrance and traced little circles around his rim. Dean let out another whine and fought to hold still.

  
“You can move. Do whatever you'd like. Don't be afraid.”

  
Dean’s hips immediately pressed down against Castiel’s finger, begging for more. Castiel gave Dean what he wanted and very gently, slipped his index finger into Dean. It was evident that there was scar tissue around the area from much rougher encounters. He listened to Dean’s moans of pleasure as if they were fine music. He used this opportunity to run his finger over Dean’s prostate and check for abnormalities. The loud cry that fell from Dean’s lips was absolutely beautiful. Castiel looked at his face and saw an expression of pure ecstasy. He used his other hand to gently massage Dean’s thigh and encourage him to relax.

  
Several minutes passed before he even tried to put in another finger. It went in easily, as did the next, and the next. Castiel was not going to take any risks in hurting Dean. This was supposed to be pleasurable, not painful, especially this first time.

  
“C-Cas...please...I-I can't wait any longer...I want you so bad…”

  
Castiel was a little shocked by Dean’s words. He never heard him ask for anything, especially not begging. It didn't seem like him, but that made it ten times hotter. He wasn't going to ask for more now, because this wasn't about teasing and playing, this was about love and taking care of one another.

  
Castiel picked up the condom from the bed and ripped the foil packaging. He held it between his teeth while he undressed himself from the waist down. He grinned when he noticed Dean staring at him. He knew he was well-gifted in size. He settled between Dean’s legs and leaned forward to press kisses to Dean’s neck. He felt the omega’s legs wrap around his waist and he smiled. He slowly pressed into Dean, gasping and holding onto him tighter.

  
Dean gasped and moaned, baring his neck for the alpha. He never had anything this slow and sweet, and it was so good. He felt all of Castiel in the best way possible. He held onto Castiel’s upper arms tightly and looked up into the two oceans that made up the alpha’s eyes.

  
Castiel looked right back at Dean, and at that moment, he thought of something his mother always said.

  
“If one day, you look into someone’s eyes and you can see your whole world, you have found your soulmate.”

  
Castiel captured Dean’s lips in a sweet kiss as they moved together. Nothing was rushed. Nothing was fast. Everything was slow, steady, and most of all, loving. Every kiss, every touch, and every noise was a gesture of love for the other. Neither one of them lasted for very long. Castiel’s knot caught on Dean’s rim several times before it slid inside with each. Everything fit together perfectly in those seconds of euphoria for the alpha and omega. Castiel’s head lunged forward and his teeth latched onto the juncture between Dean’s neck and collarbone, marking his claim on the omega. This set Dean off into another mind-blowing orgasm that had him moaning wildly.

  
The two stayed connected, sharing little kisses and touches until Castiel could pull free and throw away the condom. Castiel would have cleaned up, but he didn't care about the mess on the sheets for now. He just took Dean into his arms and held him like the most precious treasure in this world.

  
The two fell asleep in each other’s arms. The entire house reeked of loving mates. Anyone who walked in would have known exactly what just happened in there. For now, that didn't matter. What mattered was that two soulmates found one another and consummated their love. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know some people will be disappointed with the style of smut I used, because I left out all the nitty-gritty details. That was the point. I just wanted to show their love for one another. There will be more soon ;)
> 
> Follow me on tumblr for updates:  
> Deaniewithalittleweanie.tumblr.com


	7. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a short chapter. Sorry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait. Life has been messing with me. I think about this story every night and I want to write so much, but I didn't have the time. 
> 
> Something I'm surprised that I haven't mentioned is why I wrote this. This story is based off of events from my life. Sex trafficking is real and it still happens. 
> 
> Anyways, once this month ends, I'll be back on schedule writing. If you want updates, follow my tumblr: deaniewithalittleweanie.tumblr.com

When Dean woke up, he was scared to open his eyes at first. All of these wonderful things had to be a dream. The strong but gentle arms holding him tightly told him that he was still exactly where he wanted to be, with Castiel. He opened his eyes and looked up at the alpha’s face. He was sleeping peacefully, lips parted slightly. Dean leaned up and pressed a soft kiss to the parted lips. His hand came up and felt the bruising mark on his neck. He wanted to get up and see it in the mirror, but as much as he hated to admit it, Castiel’s arms around him felt amazing. It was all good...too good. Castiel is too good for him. The more Dean looked at Castiel, the more he was flooded with guilt. Castiel deserved so much better than...this.

Whenever Dean looked in a mirror, he wanted to punch the man looking back at him. He hated what he saw in the mirror. He saw something broken, disgusting, used and worn out. Who could ever even come near Dean without being revolted? He started to panic a bit, feeling the urge to run, to run far away from Castiel before this went any further. Dean wanted it so badly, but he knew that he could never have anything this good.

Castiel was quickly woken up by the smell of Dean’s sudden distress and held him a little closer. He ran gentle fingers through Dean’s hair as he tried to comfort him.   
“Dean? What's going on? Are you alright?”

Dean shook his head and started pushing Cas away.  
“No, no I don't deserve this. This isn't right...I'm not supposed to be here...I'm supposed to be in some moldy basement with a shit alpha that comes down just to fuck and leaves. You don't deserve this. You need so much better because you're too good…” Dean rambled on until Castiel grabbed his chin and kissed him to shut him up.

“Stop. You deserve the world, Dean. I have seen the good in you. Don't ever say you aren't good enough. And to say that I don't deserve you, it breaks my heart, Dean. You've been through so much, and I ask of you, is that you learn to love yourself. I know that may seem impossible right now, but I'm here to help you the whole time. You never have to be alone or afraid ever again, Dean. I'm not going anywhere unless you ask me to.”

Dean was completely in tears by the end. He shook his head and grabbed Castiel’s arm tightly.   
“P-Please...please don't leave me…”

Cas pulled Dean into a tight hug and tucked his head under his chin. “Shhhh. Don't cry, love. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere.” He whispered, rubbing Dean’s back and humming softly to soothe him.

They laid their for nearly as hour. Castiel showered Dean in affectionate touches and words, trying to show him that he deserved all of the good Castiel could give him. Dean’s tears ceased pretty quickly and he just took some time to think. This wasn't an easy switch for him. He had to try and go from thinking the worst of himself to seeing the good.

Castiel thought about why yesterday’s events took place and realized a plot hole in their day.   
“Dean, how did that guy from the auction know where you were?”

Dean paused and swallowed thickly.   
“I...I called him. I thought you were dead, and I had to go somewhere that I knew. I...It's hard to explain.”

“It's okay, I get it. You've known that reality for so long that you want to return to it, because it's all that you know.”

Dean smiled a bit. Castiel nailed it right on the head.   
“Yeah, that's it.” He curled up closer to Castiel and rested his head on the alpha’s chest.

Since Castiel had a concussion from their car crash, they stayed in bed for a while. Dean got to play around in the kitchen and whip up some lunch for them. They ate in bed and found some movies on Netflix to watch. Some of the movies went by without them noticing, because they were too busy making out. At some point, a weird topic came up in conversation.

“I'm sorry if I was a little underwhelming last night. I've never done that before, so I just went with my gut instinct.” Castiel explained.

Dean’s eyes widened and he smiled.   
“You were a virgin?”

Castiel blushed and nodded.

“Holy shit, that's adorable.” Dean chuckled.

“Shut up. I never had occasion.” Castiel pouted.

“I'm not judging. I just think you're really cute when you get all blushy.” Dean teased, kissing Castiel’s cheek.

Castiel rolled his eyes and captured Dean’s lips in a playfully rough kiss.

This afternoon of kissing and touching was a learning experience for both of them. Dean learned that Castiel liked it when he fought back a little and got a little more dominant. Castiel learned that Dean liked it when he had control. Dean wanted to let go and let someone else worry about everything, but it took him a while to settle down and give up control. Once he did, he was happier than ever.

Dean got really playful and nipped Castiel’s lip, tugging on it and grinning.

Castiel growled softly, but he was still smiling. He gripped the omega's hips and took over the kiss, asking for control with his movements. Dean fought back, which made Castiel get a little firmer, and then Dean settled down and melted against the alpha, letting out a long purr as he let Castiel control the kiss.

They pulled apart when they heard loud knocking on the door. Castiel hopped out of bed and quickly pulled on pants and a shirt before jogging out of the room to answer the door. He rubbed his head as he walked up to the door. Jogging hurt. He opened the door and saw Bobby and Sam with worried faces.

“Jesus, boy, we had no idea what happened to you. Sam saw on the news that there was a massive wreck with no casualties, but he said that the car looked like yours.”

“I'm so sorry, I should have called. Yes, that was us. I couldn't get out of the way in time. We’re both pretty banged up, but nothing serious. Dean is upstairs at the moment. Come in, please. Make yourselves at home.” He stepped back and opened the door all the way to let them in. He looked back at the stairs. “Dean! Bobby and Sam are here.” He called out.

Dean was in the middle of pulling on some clothing. He walked out of the room and down the staircase in time to see Sam pulling his boots off.   
“Hey, Sammy.”

Sam looked at Dean and smiled.   
“Hey, I saw the crash on the news. Are you alright?” He eyes drifted to the new mating mark on Dean’s neck and he knit his eyebrows together in confusion.

“I'm alright. Just a little scratched up.” Dean noticed Sam looking at the mark and gave a sly smile.

Bobby was also staring at the mating mark. He huffed out a small laugh.   
“I should have known. You could see the sexual tension between you two clear as day.”

Both Castiel and Dean blushed heavily at that. Castiel was the first to change the subject.   
“Can I get something to drink for either of you?”

Bobby shook his head.   
“I'm alright.” He walked further into the house and sat on the couch when Castiel gestured for him to. Dean and Sam joined Bobby on the living room couches while Castiel made hot cocoa for everyone, even though Bobby said he didn't want anything.

Castiel sat next to Dean and smiled as he listened to them talk. He thought about his own family and how big it was. Even though it was huge, no one was as closely knit as Dean, Sam, and Bobby were. Still, Castiel was happy to watch this family for a while, after all, they were his family now too.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow my tumblr for updates:   
> deaniewithalittleweanie.tumblr.com


	8. Sickness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'M NOT DEAD! I know, it's been five months, but life happened and I had to take a break. This was going to be broken into two chapters, but I combined them because I love you guys. I read all of your comments and it's great to see that you guys are enjoying this story! I've started becoming more active on tumblr, so if you're interested in my work, go follow me over there at deaniewithalittleweanie.tumblr.com

When you live with someone for a while, you get into a rhythm. You learn every single one of that person’s quirks. You get to learn how they tick. Some people are unable to find that rhythm when they live together. They just aren't compatible. Some people, on the other hand, do it so easily that they look like they've practiced for years.

Dean and Castiel are the latter. Within just two weeks of being mated, they moved around each other with practiced ease. Everything moved like clockwork. Every morning, Castiel woke up at 5:30am for work. Dean would end up awake as well, because he didn't like to sleep alone. He would go downstairs and make breakfast while Castiel got ready. At 5:45, Castiel would come downstairs and eat the breakfast Dean made. He would be out the door by 6:00. Dean would clean up the kitchen and go find something in the house to do. There were plants in the house that needed to be tended to, and the driveway had to be shoveled and salted so that Castiel would be able to make it back into the garage if it snowed during the day. Dean found entertainment through the internet for most of the day. He got very antsy, but it wasn't like he had anything better to do. He ate a small lunch around noon and started prepping dinner around seven. Castiel got home at eight and always smelled like hospital soap. He was always tired, but not tired enough to keep his hands off of his omega. He would stand behind Dean with his arms wrapped around his waist as he cooked. Dean would get all pouty, but Castiel knew that he secretly loved it.

Dinners were always romantic, if you call eating on the couch in scrubs and pajamas with a single Hallmark candle lit romantic. After they finished eating, they always got extra touchy. Spending the day apart made them want each other even more. They always spent lots of time kissing and touching, and at least three nights a week, they would have sex. They always went straight to sleep after sex. If they didn't have sex that night, Castiel would read a book while Dean browsed the internet in bed next to him.

The routine was set in stone after just two weeks, which is why Castiel was concerned when Dean didn't want to get out of bed one morning. The alarm went off and he slipped out of bed. Dean didn't budge. Castiel tilted his head.   
“Are you coming?”

Dean made a soft noise. His voice was hoarse when he spoke.   
“No, I want to sleep in. ‘M tired.”

Castiel nodded a bit. “Alright. I'll see you tonight, then.” He continued with his morning routine and left the house at his usual time. He only had a granola bar and a bottle of water for breakfast instead of Dean’s home cooking.

He worked all day like nothing was wrong, but the thought of Dean just laying there in bed made him a little antsy. He drove home a little faster than he should have and parked his car in the garage. He convinced himself that he would see Dean cooking dinner as soon as he walked in. He took a deep breath to calm himself and got out of the car. He opened the garage door and sighed when he didn't see Dean in the kitchen. He looked up the stairs and saw that the bedroom door was ajar, just how he had left it in the morning. He set his things down and quickly jogged up the stairs. His worry really set in when he could smell his omega’s distress. Upon entering the room, he saw Dean sitting on the bed, wrapped in the sheet, blanket, and comforter. His cheeks were flushed and his forehead had drops of sweat covering it. The heat had been cranked up in the house. Castiel knew immediately that Dean was running a fever, just by looking at him.   
“Dean, baby, why didn't you call me or answer your phone? I would have returned here sooner.” He walked over to the bed and felt Dean’s forehead, which confirmed his suspicions.

Dean made a small noise of protest when Castiel started doting over him, but he didn't resist.   
“I’m fine. Just cold.”

“You're not just cold. Are you coughing? Sneezing? Congested? Achy?”

“All of the above.”

Castiel thought for a moment before sighing.   
“I think you have the flu. I treated a patient with the flu, and I could have brought it here on my scrubs. I have my flu shot, but I know you don't. I'm sorry, love. Luckily, I can get you some Tamiflu. It'll shorten the lifespan of the virus.”

Dean looked up at Castiel and listened. He didn't like the idea of taking medicine, but it sounded better than this. He was miserable. He nodded slightly and laid down again.

Castiel walked to the bathroom and got some ibuprofen and a cold, damp washcloth. He gently laid the washcloth across Dean’s forehead to help his face cool down and sat the omega back up. There was a bottle of water on the nightstand from the previous night, so he asked Dean to swallow the pills with it.

Dean looked at the ibuprofen reluctantly before taking it. He knew it would bring his fever down, but he still didn't like taking medicine.

Castiel sat down next to Dean, taking his coat off so that he could bear the heat.   
“The flu has been bad this year.” He gently rubbed Dean’s back.   
“I've already have one strain of it. There are two, A and B. A strain seems to be worse. I had B. The patient I saw the other day tested positive for A. That's probably what you have. I'll bring you with me to work tomorrow and get you tested. You can stay in my office and rest.”

Dean nodded and rested his head on Castiel's shoulder. His body was covered in a dull ache that made sure that he couldn't get comfortable. His nose was so stopped up that he was mouth-breathing. His sinuses throbbed and his throat burned. He just wanted to lie down and sleep forever.

Castiel slowly got out of the bed. “Come downstairs with me. You'll feel better with some fresh air. It's stuffy in here. I'll make you some dinner.”

Dean gave a small nod and ditched most of his blankets, keeping one around his shoulders to keep warm. He followed Castiel down the stairs and sat down on one of the breakfast bar stools. The fresh air on the lower floor was nicer than the bedroom he had stuffed up.

Castiel opened the cabinets and found a can of chicken noodle soup. He poured it into a pot and put it on the stove. While he waited for it to heat up, he got a Gatorade out of the fridge and opened it, setting it in front of Dean for him to drink.

Dean took a small sip of the Gatorade and pulled his blanket tighter around himself. He watched Castiel heat up the soup on the stove and sighed softly. As much as he hated being sick, he was happy that he was sick with Castiel. He knew the alpha would take care of him. As often as he had his moments of doubt, he knew deep down that Castiel would always be good to him. He picked up the spoon that Castiel gave to him and started eating the hot soup in from of him. His tense and aching body relaxed under soft touches from his alpha.

After Dean finished his dinner, and Castiel had eaten as well, Dean was tucked into bed with a cool cloth on his forehead. Castiel slipped into bed and wrapped himself around the omega. He poked his nose against Dean’s neck and silently enjoyed his favorite scent in the world, Dean at peace. The scent knocked him out like a light. Since Dean was sick and tired, he was out just as fast.

The next morning, Castiel put Dean in a t-shirt, sweatpants, and one of his old college sweatshirts. He had him eat some oatmeal with blueberries and drink a glass of milk. Once he had them both ready, he led Dean out to the car.

Dean was sweating and shivering. He was waiting until Castiel could measure his fever before taking some. He kept his blanket wrapped around his body as he followed Castiel into the hospital. He looked around and only saw one guy, who seemed to be in some kind of skiing accident.

Castiel clocked in and led Dean to one of the rooms, gesturing for him to sit down on the bed. He got out a thermometer and swiped it over Dean’s forehead.   
“101.2.” He spoke softly. He opened up a drawer and got out two swabs. He ripped one open and stood in front of Dean.   
“Say ‘ahhh’.”

Dean did as he was told and earned swabs straight down his throat. He gagged and coughed.

Cas broke the stick off of the swabs and put them in a plastic sealed cup.   
“Sorry. I know it sucks. That was a strep test. The flu test isn't as bad.”  
He took ripped the paper off the top of another swab and tipped Dean’s head back. He swabbed the inside of Dean’s nose. He had to go pretty far back, so it was incredibly uncomfortable for Dean.

Dean made an uncomfortable noise and pouted.   
“You lied. That was worse.” He made a face, rubbing his nose.

“I'm sorry. It's over now.” He put the flu test swabs in another cup and picked up a sharpie. He wrote Dean’s name, the date, and what the tests were.   
“Come on, I'll get you set up in my office.” He stood up and led Dean back to his office, dropping the cups off at the nurse’s station, hoping Anna would take them to get run. He opened the door to his office and walked to his chair, pulling it out for Dean.   
“You can go on my computer all you want. The chair lies flat, so you can nap on it.” He opened the drawer and got out some ibuprofen. He put two tablets on the desk and got a bottle of water from the mini fridge, setting it next to the pills.   
“There's more water in the mini fridge if you want it. I'll bring you lunch. Do you need anything else?”

Dean felt like shit. He didn't like the hospital, his body hurt, he was congested, his throat hurt, and he just wanted to sleep.   
“You.” He said, a pathetically sad look on his face.

Castiel’s heart broke a little and he pulled Dean into a hug.   
“I know, baby. I'll be here.” He looked at his desk and grabbed a pager, putting it in Dean’s hand.   
“Just page me when you need me. I'll be here.”

Dean looked at the pager and nodded. He walked over to the desk chair and sat down.   
“I guess I'll be here.”

Castiel smiled softly and slowly left the room, shutting the door behind himself. He put his coat on and washed his hands before getting to work.

Dean had no idea what to do while he waited for Castiel. He went on the computer and scrolling through YouTube, looking for anything worth watching. He sat in thought for a while before he had an idea. He started looking for auto mechanics in the area and drummed his fingers against the desk. He saw one that was only a few miles from Castiel’s house who was looking for an apprentice. Dean perked up when he saw that and looked at the requirements. The man was looking for someone under 25 who had a passion for cars. Dean thought for a moment, unsure if he should apply for the apprenticeship without telling Castiel first. He decided to screw it and do it anyways. He knew Castiel would be encouraging. He sent an email to the mechanic, explaining who he was and that he wanted the job. He decided not to mention that he didn't have his driver’s license. He knew how to drive, but he learned when he was fourteen and stole his dad’s car that one time. He wasn't old enough to get his license by the time he was with Alastair. He made a mental note to ask Cas to teach him how to drive properly.

A few minutes later, someone knocked on the door and poked their head in. It was Anna with medicine for Dean. She smiled softly at him and walked up slowly.   
“Hi, Dean. You do have the flu, so I've brought you some medicine.” She set a little cup with a pill in it on the table and another small plastic cup with water.

Dean gave a smile and took the pill.   
“Thank you.”

Anna smiled wider when she heard Dean speak. “You look so much better than the last time I saw you. How are you doing?”

“I'm good, besides having the flu.”

Anna giggled.   
“I'm so happy to hear that. You get some rest today. Castiel told me to tell you that he will join you for lunch.”

Dean nodded, wrapping his blanket a little tighter around himself.

Anna left the office and immediately went to find Castiel. She found him at the nurse’s station, writing something down.   
“Doctor Novak!” She walked up to him. “I just gave Dean his first dose of Tamiflu. He looks so good, besides being sick, of course.”

Castiel smiled softly and nodded.   
“He's been doing great. I'm trying to find something for him to do. He just sits at home all day. I’m planning on finding him a job sometime this week.”

“That sounds great. I'm going to go check on the patient in room 307.”

Castiel waved goodbye to Anna and got back to work. He got lunch at 12:30 and brought a tray of food to Dean. He walked into the office and saw Dean on the computer. He smiled and shut the door behind himself, sitting in the chair on the opposite side of the desk. He pushed Dean’s tray towards him.   
“I brought you a sandwich.”

Dean gave a small smile in thanks. He took a bite of the turkey sandwich and glanced at the computer before looking back at Castiel.   
“While you were working, I was online, and I applied for an apprenticeship at an auto repair shop.” He stumbled over his words a bit, nervously waiting for Castiel’s reaction.

“Dean, that's awesome! I remember you telling me that you wanted to work with cars one day.”

Dean relaxed when he saw how happy Castiel was for him.   
“There's just one problem, I don't actually know how to drive.”

“I'll teach you. If you're feeling better by the weekend, I'll give you a driving lesson. We’ll have to go to the DMV and get you a permit. You'll need to have it for 90 days, and then you can get your license. Since you're an adult, you don't have to wait as long.”

“Good, because Sam was teasing me about getting his permit before me the other day. I'll show him by getting my license before him.”

Castiel laughed softly and started eating his lunch. The happy silence was broken by the sound of a code blue alarm. Castiel jumped up and ran out of the office to the room, where he found nurses already performing CPR.

Dean blinked and got up, poking his head out of the door, looking for Castiel. He wanted to follow him, but he was sick and he didn't want to infect anyone else. He stayed put in the office, waiting nervously for Castiel to return.

The patient Castiel was with had come in for a heart attack and was waiting to be transferred to a bigger hospital for an emergency bypass surgery. The helicopter was just about to pick him up. By some miracle, Castiel and his team were able to get the man’s heart started again. They got him into the helicopter and everyone said a little prayer for the man.

Castiel sighed and returned to the emergency room. He went to check on a patient that had fallen off a ski lift and torn her Achilles' tendon. He returned to his office.   
“We had to airlift a man to a bigger hospital for bypass surgery. This is a pretty tiny hospital, and we can't get a heart surgeon in here fast enough to help. Hopefully, he’ll be alright. We almost lost him just now.”

Dean listened and nodded.   
“That's scary.” He had a thought and decided to ask. “Have you ever had a patient die?”

“Only one. It was a car accident. I was an intern at the time. The car slid off the side of the mountain and rolled down. The guy survived initially, but the bleeding in his brain killed him. There wasn't much we could do. We tried to drain the blood, but he was gone before we got anything done. That was a bad day. I had to shower to get his blood off of me. I was soaked in it. Luckily, I work on a small hospital and we mostly get skiing accidents. I've had a few close calls, but anytime we get anything that serious, we have to airlift them to a bigger hospital.”

Dean listened closely to the story and nodded along.   
“That sounds awful. How bad are the skiing accidents?”

“We've had some bad ones. We have a woman now who fell out of the lift and she has a small tear in her Achilles' tendon.”

“Is that the big thing on the back of your heel?”

“Yup. She's on morphine and I've sent her home with hydrocodone. It's one of the most painful tendons to injure because it's the thickest and strongest one. Luckily, the woman just has a tear and she didn't fully rupture it.”

Dean nodded and watched Castiel eat the rest of his lunch. He laid the chair back and curled up on it, ready for a nap.

Castiel walked over and kissed Dean’s forehead.   
“Get some good rest. I'll come get you when my shift is over.” He left the room and gently closed the door to avoid making lots of noise. His lunch break had just ended and he had a new patient.

This guy seemed to be really angry that his doctor was an alpha, for some reason. He growled non-stop and refused to let Castiel touch him or examine him. The battle got physical and Castiel got pummeled before security got the man off of him. Castiel was very much in shape and not a small man, but this guy was nearly seven feet tall and built like a bear. Castiel didn't stand a chance. Luckily, he came out of the fight with only a few bruises and a backache. The guy came in for a cut he got while snowboarding. He had fallen on a rock and sliced his arm open. Anna stitched the wound closed and wrapped it. The man was promptly arrested for assault.

Several more problem patients came in and Castiel was dead tired. One was a particularly pervy alpha who kept trying to get in Anna’s pants. He was out within half an hour. He was in for a stomach ache, and he was just constipated, so he didn't need too much from the hospital.

On his way out, he wandered the hospital a bit, looking for an omega that was willing, because he was a sleazy douchebag. As he moved towards some of the offices, he caught a scent: distressed omega. Dean was still in Castiel’s office and felt horrible. He had been throwing up and his head hurt worse than ever before.

The man followed Dean’s scent all the way to Castiel’s office door. He knocked a couple times to see if there was anyone in there, or if the scent was just lingering there.

Dean looked up at the door and sat up a bit, thinking it was Castiel at the door.   
“Cas?” He asked in a weak voice.

The man opened the door and walked inside, getting a look at Dean. His eyebrows went up and he closed the door behind himself.   
“Look who it is. I've seen you at auctions before.”

Dean’s eyes went to the size of dinner plates and he scrambled out of the chair. He made a run for the door, but he was blocked. He stared up at the man with a look of horror and crawled quickly to the desk, yanking the drawers open and looking for some kind of weapon. He only found files and stacks of paper. While he was searching, he was paging Castiel over and over, hoping that he would make it in time. The closest he got to a weapon was a pair of scissors and a stapler. He opened the scissors and held the pointed end at the alpha, who just laughed and moved closer.

One thing that the hospital had was a great security system. There was a guard watching security cameras day and night. A guard had watched the alpha leave the ER and wander to the offices. He knew Dean was in there from seeing Castiel lead him there earlier. His eyes widened a bit when he saw the alpha close the door behind himself. He immediately got out of his chair and ran through the ER to the offices.

Castiel blinked and watched the guard run by, furrowing his brows. He suddenly felt his pager going off over and over and his eyes widened. He ran behind the guard, his heart rate picking up quickly.

The guard knocked hard on Castiel’s office door and tried the doorknob. When it didn't work, he pulled out his master key and opened the door. He gasped and darted into the office, ripping the alpha off of Dean, who was kicking and screaming. Luckily, the alpha hadn't even gotten any clothing off of Dean, he had just managed to pin him after suffering a few slashes with the scissors and lots of kicks. Dean had put up a fight that he would have given up in seconds before he met Castiel.

Castiel heard Dean’s scream and picked up a sprint. He saw the guard pull the alpha out and his heart dropped to his stomach. Fury boiled up in his body, but his worry for Dean was greater. He ran into the office and dropped to his knees by his omega. Dean was still letting out cries of distress and kicking his legs out. His eyes were wide and full of pure terror. He was still moving as if someone was still on him. Castiel was able to recognize this as some kind of vivid flashback and knew he had to get Dean out of it. He tried to wrap his arms around the omega, but he got pushed away and received a shout of protest. He stared at Dean in a state of panic, having no idea what to do to help him. Finally, his senses kicked in and he firmly grabbed Dean’s head. He tucked it against his neck and held onto him. He forced himself to be calm so that Dean’s nose would be filled with his calming scent.

Dean cried out and kept trying to pry himself away. Through his hyperventilating, he finally smelled Castiel. The calming scent gradually made him go quiet and relax. He was still shaking from the endeavor, but he wasn't scared anymore. He knew Castiel was there to protect him. He could believe that now.

Half of the hospital staff was standing in the door and watching in awe as Castiel got Dean to settle down. Once they knew the situation was handled, they dispersed to give the couple their privacy.

Castiel pulled back a bit once he knew Dean was calm. His anger started to boil over and he turned around, staring down the man. If looks could kill, this guy would be dead 1000 times over. Castiel shot daggers at the alpha and stood up.

Dean stared up at Castiel and blinked. He always saw Castiel as a cuddly alpha that wouldn't hurt a fly. Watching him get all defensive got him thinking. If Castiel was this defensive, that had to show how attached to Dean he was. Dean had never seen an alpha this protective of him. If his cheeks weren't already flushed from being sick, a blush on his face would have been obvious.

Castiel let out a low growl and took a step forward. The other man cowered away, even with the security guard hanging onto him. Castiel scoffed and looked to the guard with a much softer expression to see what he had to say.

“I'm handing him over to the police.”

Castiel gave a nod of thanks and turned back to Dean. He knelt back down.   
“Are you alright?”

Dean nodded.   
“I’m fine, just a little shaken up, I guess.” He shrugged and paused for a moment in thought. “You're very protective.”

Castiel smiled softly.   
“Of course I am. You're my mate. I would never let anyone like that touch you.”

Dean’s chest went all fuzzy and warm when he heard Castiel speak. He felt like a teenager with a crush on the high school football captain.

~~~

Castiel’s shift ended an hour later, and he was happy to get Dean back home. He gave him hot chicken noodle soup for dinner and made sure he got enough to eat and drink. He gave him his nightly dose of Tamiflu and led him upstairs to bed. Once Dean was tucked in, he got out his laptop to check his emails. He found one that Bobby forwarded to him from the Lawrence Police Department and furrowed his brows. He read it and blinked.   
“Dean, the police in Lawrence have your father’s car. They were going to send it to the junkyard, but John said that he wanted it to go to you. Bobby is going to get it and bring it here. He said that if you don't want it, he’ll take it.”

Dean sat up a bit.   
“I want it. That car is a masterpiece. It's a ‘67 Chevy Impala. I've dreamed about driving that thing since I was five. The closest I've gotten is when I stole it when I was fourteen. I drove it ten feet through a motel parking lot before my old man caught me.”

Castiel chuckled a bit at Dean’s enthusiasm and story.   
“I'll tell Bobby that you want it. That's an old car. It'll probably need maintenance.”

“She does. Once I start the apprenticeship, I'll be able to do it myself.”

“She?”

“The car. My dad always called her ‘Baby’, and so did I.”

Castiel laughed. “That seems silly, but I'll accept it.”

Dean laid back down and curled up a bit. He watched Castiel work on his laptop for a long while before he spoke up.   
“Are you coming to bed?”

Castiel looked up and smiled softly. He closed his laptop and stood up, walking to the bed and climbing into bed next to Dean.   
“As long as you promise not to get me sick. I have work tomorrow.”

Dean chuckled and nodded, curling up against Castiel and keeping his head on the alpha’s chest so that he wouldn't be breathing in Castiel’s face. With the scent of Castiel surrounding him, his body easily slipped away into a peaceful sleep.

Castiel was awake for a little while longer than Dean, but he was able to fall asleep with similar ease.

~~~

Dean was in bed for two days, feeling tired and achy. The medicine helped make it more bearable, and he was well by Friday. Castiel had work, so he spent the day at home. He got an email back from the auto mechanic, and he was excited to learn that he got the apprenticeship. He would start on Monday, and he was going to the DMV to get his adult permit on Tuesday.

Now, he was sitting in the living room, binge-watching Rick and Morty. He and Castiel were watching it together, and they we're almost done with the second season. Dean was re-watching the first season out of boredom. What he didn't expect was to hear someone knocking on the door. He stared at the front door for a minute before standing up and walking to it. He tried to peek out and saw two teenage boys that looked about Sam’s age. He opened the door and looked down at them. Both of them had light brown to dark blonde hair and a similar build. One had longer hair than the other, and he spoke first.

“Is Castiel home?” He asked.

Dean shook his head. “No, he's at work. Who are you?”

“I'm Gabriel and that's Balthazar. We’re Castiel’s brothers. Who are you?”

“I'm Dean. I'm Castiel’s...friend.” Why the hell did he just say that? Too late now.

“Oh. He gets home at five tonight, right?”

Dean nodded. “Yeah, he does. Umm, I guess you can come in.” He opened the door fully and let the brothers in.

Balthazar made a slight face at the sudden strong scent of mates. He instantly knew that Dean was lying about being Castiel’s “friend”. He didn't prod any further, deciding to let Dean and Castiel tell him themselves.

Gabriel was thinking the same thing, and he chose to stay quiet as well. He plopped himself down on the couch and sat awkwardly beside his brother. He looked at the TV and saw Rick and Morty on.   
“You watch Rick and Morty? Nice.”

Dean nodded and sat down in one of the cozy chairs. He unpaused the TV and let the episode continue. Everyone watched happily, chuckling whenever Rick dropped a one-liner.

At five o’clock, Castiel walked in, looking for Gabriel and Balthazar. He had seen their cars in the driveway and knew they were here. He was greeted by a slightly terrified look from Dean and two big smiles from his brothers, who immediately got up to hug him.

Gabriel threw his arms around Castiel with a smile.   
“Cassie! It's been too long!”

Castiel smiled and hugged his brothers back.   
“I know, I missed you guys.” He looked over at Dean. “I see you've met Dean.”

Dean got up and walked around the kitchen to stand behind Castiel. He would never admit that he was hiding, but truthfully, he was.

Gabriel and Balthazar nodded. Balthazar spoke first.   
“Yeah, is he a good friend of yours? How come we’ve never seen him before?”

Castiel furrowed his brows.   
“He's only lived here for a month, and he’s my mate.”

Dean’s face went pale and he resisted the urge to curl into Castiel’s back and disappear. Why did he do this to himself?

Balthazar was completely unfazed. He knew what was going on. He just needed confirmation.   
“How long have you been mated?”

“Almost three weeks now.” He reached back and took Dean’s hand, squeezing it softly. He looked back at him with a smile and urged him forwards.

Dean slowly and timidly moved forward. He was completely thrown off by having strangers in the house that he learned to be himself in.

Gabriel watched Dean come forward with that timid stance and his eyes widened. He had seen him before. Months ago, Lucifer had stolen some of Gabriel’s clothes for some omega in his house. Gabriel went to get them and saw an omega frantically washing dishes in the same timid stance Dean stood in. He remembered how skinny he was and how bruised and scared he was. He ended up leaving his clothes there, because he decided that the omega needed them more than he did. Now, he was staring at Dean and realizing that Dean was that omega he saw. He didn't mean to blurt his thoughts out, but it happened. He pointed at Dean with a confused expression.   
“Weren’t you Lucifer’s omega?” He regretted it as soon as he said it.

Dean’s face went ghostly pale for only second before he tore off down the basement stairs at a speed Castiel had never seen him run at. He slid across the hardwood floors as he scrambled to his ‘safe spot’. He closed himself into the closet that held the water heater and crawled behind it where no one could reach him. He accidentally touched a pipe and hissed when it burned him. He curled into the corner and tucked his head to his knees, his breathing quickly turning to hyperventilating. Everything was spinning and he could see or hear. Everything became fear and distress. He wasn't even aware of the small, terrified sounds that escaped his lips.

Castiel gasped when Dean broke free and stood in shock as he ran. He knew exactly where Dean was going, and he got ready to go coax him out. Before that, he had to ask.   
“You saw him there?”

Gabriel nodded.   
“Lucifer broke into the family house a while back and stole some of my clothes. I went to his apartment to get them back, and I realized that he stole them for Dean. I didn't know his name then. I just saw him in the kitchen from the front door. I didn't recognize him today until I saw him standing like he was scared. Is that how you met him? You found him with Lucifer?”

Castiel shook his head.   
“Not exactly, but we can talk later. You guys just stay up here. He has a hiding spot down there that he goes to when he has panic attacks. I can get him out.” He walked quietly down the basement stairs and looked down the hall. He opened the closet door and sat down in front of the water heater. He saw Dean curled up behind it in the corner and his heart broke. He hadn't seen Dean down here since the first week he was here. He tried to reach back to touch Dean, but he couldn't reach. He never tried to crawl back there with him. He tried once during the first week and Dean freaked out. Castiel held his hand out for Dean with a soft smile.   
“Dean, love, it's just me. Come on out.”

Dean went silent when he heard Castiel and shook his head, curling further back into the corner. His thoughts ate at him and broke him down. All the memories of Lucifer came flooding back all at once and his mind couldn't take it. He simultaneously wanted Castiel to hold him and wanted to get far far away from the alpha. Time didn't exist anymore to him. He just stayed in his own mind, letting his thoughts completely devour him.

Castiel stayed at the door, leaning back against the frame and begging Dean to come out. He knew Dean couldn't hear him like this, but he couldn't get to him without him freaking out and hurting himself. Nearly an hour passed before he heard footsteps. Gabriel came down the stairs with one of Castiel’s dirty shirts in his hand.   
“What are you doing? I told you stay upstairs.”

Gabriel didn't meet Castiel’s eyes.   
“I just...I know something that works for things like this. Can I try?”

Castiel looked wary and shook his head.   
“You can't try to pull him out. The pipes are hot, and if you touch him, he’ll panic.”

“I'm not going to touch him. Please?”

Castiel stared for a moment before slowly moving out of the way.

Gabriel knelt down by the door and shuffled around the heater the opposite way Dean went. He balled up Castiel’s shirt and stuck it out right in front of Dean’s face.

Dean was blocking everything out, but there was one thing he couldn't ignore, the sudden strong scent of Castiel. His eyes opened and he looked at the shirt that was being held in front of him. He didn't care whose hand was holding it. He took the shirt and pressed it to his face. It wasn't nearly as good as having Castiel there, so he whined a bit and looked to the person in the closet with him.

Gabriel gave Dean a comforting smile and held his hand out.   
“He's out here waiting for you.”

Dean blinked and slowly took Gabriel’s hand. Something about the omega presence sucked him right out of his trance. He followed Gabriel out of the closet and saw Castiel sitting there. He immediately abandoned Gabriel for Castiel, throwing his arms around the alpha and burying his face in the crook of his neck.

Castiel was in shock that Dean came out just like that with Gabriel’s help. He wrapped his arms around the omega and held him tightly. He had been worried sick, and having him back in his arms made his scent scream with relief. He looked over at Gabriel.   
“How did you know what to do?”

“I've been volunteering at the Omega Protection Agency. There are a lot of omegas like Dean. Sometimes they just need a scent that they like and the presence of another omega. When they smell an alpha around, even if it's a mate, parent, or friend, it triggers an emotional response in a time of panic. They’ll usually stay away until they can be coaxed back. Using now as an example, having an omega present him with your scent convinced him to come out because he didn't sense a threat from an alpha. He just had the scent up close and an omega asking him to come out. It's weird how it all works but it just does. That's not to say that he's scared of you, I'm sure he's just scared of alphas in general. With time, he’ll learn.”

Castiel blinked in surprise before nodding.   
“Wow. That's really cool. Thank you.”

Gabriel gave a small nod and looked back at the closet.   
“Why the water heater?”

“I don't really know. He's run down here twice before. I can't get him out whenever it happens.” He rubbed Dean’s back, seeing that the omega was still out of it.

Gabriel nodded.   
“Balthazar and I agreed that whenever Dean’s ready, we’ll start over and pretend that nothing happened.” He stood up and walked back up the stairs.

Castiel stayed with Dean and comforted him until Dean seemed to come back.   
“Hey. Do you want to go meet my younger brothers?”

Dean looked up at Castiel with his brows furrowed slightly.   
“I saw them earlier…”

“We’re starting over. Starting now, none of that happened.”

Dean recognized the gesture and felt a swell of appreciation for it. He nodded and got himself up. He cleared his throat and dusted himself off.

Castiel stood up with him and gave him a moment to compose himself. Once they were ready, Castiel led the way up the stairs. At the top, they saw Gabriel answering the door and introducing himself to Sam.

Dean raised his eyebrows and watched them, a grin slowly coming to his face.

Dean got a chance to re-introduce himself to Gabriel and Balthazar while Castiel ordered pizza for dinner. Everyone sat down in the living room and exchanged small talk. Dean and Castiel sat on the couch so close together that the were smashed into one side. Sam was on the other side, facing Gabriel, who was sitting in a chair across from him. Balthazar was in the recliner, leaning back with his hands behind his head.

Dean watched as Sam and Gabriel were talking one on one and grinned a bit. They were teasing each other not-so-subtly. Dean turned to Castiel to whisper in his ear.   
“Sam likes him.”

Castiel raised a brow and looked over at Gabriel and Sam. After watching for a moment, he nodded and smiled.   
“I think Gabriel likes Sam, too.” He turned to Balthazar and started asking him about life at home. Michael was basically their dad now. With their mother being a missing person, their father ditching them, and Lucifer being a twat, Michael was the only one left to take care of the house and the kids.

As Dean looked between the two conversations, he found his mind at peace again. His family was here to protect him, and he was there to protect them. These were his favorite moments, the ones where everything made sense.

 

 

 


	9. Christmas

Hello everyone! I'd like to talk about something really important before this chapter starts, and that's the reason why I wrote this. I got several comments recently that hit me hard. I removed the ones with abusive language so that readers wouldn't see them, and I left the one that was respectful, because it wouldn't be fair of me to delete criticism. This criticism was about the nature of my story. This person interpreted the last few chapters as a PTSD victim only being able to heal with some magical knight in shining armor, and things of that nature. This hit me hard because that really wasn't what I was going for at all, and I started to worry if I had conveyed my message correctly. I replied to this comment to explain myself, and if you're reading this, I want to apologize again for making you feel that way. That was never my intention and I'm truly sorry.

The reason I wrote this story is to cope with my own PTSD. Four years ago, I ended up in an abusive relationship. I was sexually, physically, and verbally abused every day for a year. I was raped, beaten, drugged, and trapped. When I finally got away, my abuser what put in jail, but that wasn't when my suffering ended. To this day, I have night terrors, I sleepwalk, I get flashbacks, and I have massive trust issues and social anxiety. All of this stemmed from that one year. I was diagnosed with PTSD three years ago and I've been treated by a wonderful psychiatrist. I've gotten my life back and I'm in a much better place now. I wrote this story to give some insight on PTSD. I put a lot of myself into Dean. Whenever I go deep into his thoughts, I’m always referring to how I felt and how I dealt with everything.

As for Castiel, this is a love story. They have to come together somehow. For me, I needed someone to help me heal. I couldn't possibly do it alone. I've taken that and embodied it into Castiel. Dean does not represent PTSD as a whole. He represents me and my own experiences with the disorder. If you have PTSD and feel that Dean doesn't represent you properly, that's because he doesn't. No two PTSD patients are alike. Everyone reacts differently to trauma and heals in different ways. I hope this helps everyone to understand where I’m coming from and why I wrote this story the way I did. Thank you for reading. This story has done so much for me in terms of healing. My battle will never magically end, but with time I know I'll get better. Enjoy this short chapter in time for the holidays!

~~~

Dean started his apprenticeship a few weeks after he applied. Castiel had to drive him there, since Dean didn't have his license yet. He was practicing and getting better every day. The mechanic Dean worked with was named Benny. He was a friendly beta with a rougher edge. Dean liked spending time with him. They got along and Benny was a great teacher. He mostly had Dean watching and doing little jobs around the shop. One day when Castiel dropped him off, Benny told him that he would have the next day off.

“I'm free tomorrow. I can still come.” Dean argued. He didn't like the idea of taking any days off.

“I'm not gonna be here. Tomorrow’s Christmas Eve. I'm sure you and your mate want to go do something.” Benny replied, picking up a wrench.   
“Come with me, lemme show you how to fix this engine.”

Dean blinked at the mention of Christmas. He hasn't even thought about Christmas. Castiel hadn't decorated or anything. Thinking back, it was around the end of September when Castiel found him. The timing made sense, he just forgot. He shrugged it off and followed Benny over to the car.

Castiel had a plan for tonight. He told Dean that morning that he was working until eight, but he actually got off at six today. Once he got off work, he went straight home and started setting everything up. A little after eight, he drove to the auto shop to pick Dean up.

Dean got into Castiel’s car, wiping some of the grease off of his face.   
“How was work?”

“Good. What about you?”

“Great. Did you know that tomorrow is Christmas Eve?” He asked, buckling himself in.

Castiel nodded.   
“I did, actually. I was thinking that we could just stay home, maybe invite Sam and Bobby over. New Years will a little different. My family has a party every year and I do plan to take you with me, so that you can meet everyone. It's just my siblings and a few cousins. It'll be fun.” He glanced over at Dean and saw that he looked concerned. “The one person you're worried about won't be there. He's not welcome in any of our houses.”

Dean nodded with a small sigh of relief. He had a thought and tilted his head a bit.   
“Is he not welcome because of what happened with me?”

Castiel shook his head.   
“That's part of it, but he was removed from our house years ago. He even went to jail for a few months.”

“What happened? If you don't mind me asking…”

“A lot.” He paused for a moment, staring out the windshield. He really hadn't told anyone about this. “It started when I was about ten years old, before I presented. He was sixteen and had just presented as an alpha. He started preying on his younger siblings. Gabriel and Balthazar were only two, so he didn't bother them. My mom hadn't adopted Raphael and Uriel yet, so I was the only one there. My entire family thought I would present as an omega, so he treated me as if I was one that he had control over. It lasted until I presented as an alpha. He stopped after that. What happened to me wasn't nearly as bad as what happened to Gabriel. The day he presented...Lucifer just pounced on him. I found him before anything serious happened, but it was still traumatizing for Gabe. That's what put him in jail. I finally came forward about what he did to me as a child and testified against him in court. He only got two months and community service.”

Dean’s face fell into a look of sympathy and understanding. He knew first hand what Lucifer was like and how nasty he could be.   
“I'm sorry that happened to you guys. I know what he's like and how bad he can be.”

Castiel nodded and gave Dean a small smile. “That was a long time ago. We’re all in a better place now.” He parked his car in the garage and got out. “Wait for me.”

Dean got out of the car and waited by the garage door while Castiel walked around to the door.

“I have a confession. I didn't actually work late. I came home at my normal Friday time and set up a surprise for you.” Castiel opened the door and led Dean inside. With the few hours he had, he put up a Christmas tree and had classy Christmas decorations placed all over the house. The dining room was the most elegantly decorated, and had two plates covered in tin foil on it.

Dean stepped inside and blinked as he looked around. He hadn't been in a decorated house like this in years, not since Mary died. He looked at Castiel and saw him holding out a little box for him.

“Merry Christmas, Dean.”

Dean felt his eyes welling up with happy tears as he took the small wrapped box. He untied the bow and carefully tore the wrapping paper off. He found a little jewelry box and wiped his eyes before opening it. Inside was a beautiful silver ring encrusted with emeralds. The silver appeared to swirl together like ribbons around the little green gems.

In all of the alphas Dean had been with, none had given him a mating ring. A mating ring had as much significance as a wedding ring. Betas were usually the ones to get married, while alphas and omegas mated and wore mating rings.

Castiel stepped closer and took the ring out of the box before holding his hand out for Dean’s hand. He had tears of his own forming, one slipping down his cheek as he slipped the ring onto Dean’s finger. He pulled a second ring box out of his pocket and handed it to Dean.   
“You can put mine on me.”

Dean smiled and nodded, opening the box and looking at Castiel’s ring. It was the same swirling silver design that his had, but with sapphires instead of emeralds. He felt bad that he couldn't buy the ring for Castiel, but that feeling was easily overwhelmed by the sheer joy he was experiencing. He slipped the ring onto Castiel’s finger before pulling him into a tight hug.   
“I love you.” Dean blurted out.

Castiel’s heart jumped to his head when he heard Dean. He hugged him back tightly with a beaming smile.   
“I love you too. More than you'll ever know.” He kissed Dean’s temple and stepped back from the hug to take his hand. He led him to the dining room and pulled a chair out for him.

Dean followed Castiel and sat down in his chair with a smile.   
“Such a gentleman.” He teased.

Castiel rolled his eyes and sat down in his own seat. He pulled the foil off of their plates and revealed a turkey dinner with corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, and a little bowl of spinach salad.

Dean’s eyes widened.   
“This looks amazing. Did you make this today?”

Castiel nodded.   
“There's more turkey in the fridge that you can heat up if you're still hungry after this plate.”

Dean dug into his mashed potatoes and let out a near-pornographic moan.   
“This is so good.”

Castiel smiled and chuckled at Dean’s enthusiasm as he started eating.

Their plates were cleared in just a few minutes, and they were both stuffed. Castiel stood up and grabbed Dean’s hand, pulling him out into the hall.

“Where are you taking me?” Dean looked up and saw some strategically placed mistletoe.   
“Oh you cheesy fucker.” He grinned and grabbed Castiel’s shirt, pulling him in for a kiss.

Castiel kissed Dean back with a smug grin, placing his hands on the omega’s hips.

Dean pressed his body against Castiel’s and started pushing him back towards the stairs.

Castiel pulled back from the kiss and grinned.   
“Are trying to get me to bed?”

Dean nodded and pushed Castiel a bit.   
“Hell yeah I am. Now hurry up.” He pushed Castiel along up the stairs and to the bedroom. Once they were there, the dominance quickly switched to Castiel when he turned and pushed Dean up against the wall and kissed him again.

Hands scrambled, grabbed, pulled and gripped as the two kissed passionately. They fell back onto the bed and started tugging at each other’s clothes. Dean grabbed Castiel’s shirt and yanked it off over his head before his hands flew to the alpha’s chest to feel everything. Castiel pulled Dean’s shirt off and grabbed his hips possessively as he kissed his neck. Dean grinned and wrapped a leg around Castiel. Using his body weight, he flipped them over so that Castiel was lying on his back and he was straddling the alpha’s thighs. Castiel seemed shocked and tried to sit up a bit. Dean’s hand on his chest stopped him.

“No. You gave me this beautiful ring and an amazing dinner. Let me do something for you.” Dean grinned and shuffled down to pull Castiel’s pants off. He saw the appreciation and arousal in his alpha’s eyes that spurred him on. He threw Castiel’s pants to the wall and stripped himself of his own. He already had slick dampening his thighs and steadily leaking from his hole. He stood up on his knees and pushed two fingers into his slick entrance. He whined a bit as he quickly stretched himself for Castiel. He was so slick that he didn't need more than a minute of stretching. He positioned himself and was about to sink down onto Castiel’s cock when the alpha grabbed his thigh to stop him.

“Dean, wait, I don't have a condom-”

Dean cut Castiel off with a whine.   
“Can't we just forget it tonight? I'm not in heat and I'm on that birth control you prescribed for me.”

“There's still a slim chance.” Castiel reached for the bedside drawer, but then gasped when Dean sank down on him without warning and started grinding his hips.   
“Dean...Dean, baby, please...I don't want to chance it.”

Dean huffed and stopped his hips.   
“Do you just really not want pups?”

“No, of course I do one day, but not now. Is that what you're trying to do right now?”

Dean looked away and chewed his lip. He wasn’t actively thinking about it, but in the back of his mind, he knew what he was trying to do.

“Dean, love, you're so young. You're young to even be mated.”

“I'm not /that/ young. I turn twenty one in less than a month.”

“That's still very young to be thinking about pups. One day, we can fill this house with our pups, but in a few years, okay?” Castiel rubbed Dean’s thigh and sighed. “Besides, I'm on alpha suppressants. I probably can't even get you pregnant now.”

Dean was about to nod, but then he heard Castiel mention alpha suppressants.  
“You're still on those? It's been months. Why?”

Castiel sighed.   
“It's become a part of my morning routine, and I'm honestly afraid of what could happen if I stopped taking them.”

Dean frowned.   
“I want all of you. Not just the part of you I get when you're on those. And to counter your point on pups, I lost my youth when I entered that auction house. Now, I'm going to ride you like there's no tomorrow, and you're not taking those suppressants anymore.”

Castiel blinked a bit at Dean’s assertiveness and felt his heart ache when Dean brought up the auction house. He sighed. “Don't say that. You have so much to life to live. Try to focus on that, okay?”

Dean whined a bit. “I hear you but I really can't have a meaningful conversation when I'm in your lap like this...How are you even so collected?”

Castiel thought for a moment. “Honestly it's probably the suppressants.”

Dean frowned. “I'm flushing them down the toilet tomorrow morning.” He ditched the conversation and lifted himself up and lowered himself back down with a soft moan, his back arching.

Castiel was easily able to shift his focus back to what they were doing before their conversation started, gripping the omega’s hips tightly and guiding him up and down.

Dean picked up a rhythm quickly and bounced desperately in Castiel’s lap. Each bounce punched a noise out of his throat. It felt just as good as when Castiel wore a condom, but like this, he could feel every inch and detail of his cock. Castiel was in the same boat. He could feel all of Dean’s slick walls clenching tightly around him as his hips canted up to meet the omega’s.

Dean felt Castiel’s knot swelling and drove his hips down harder against it. As soon as it caught his rim slightly, he was gone in an orgasm that made him throw his head back and moan as he rode it out. His back was arched perfectly and his hands gripped Castiel’s thighs.

Castiel felt Dean coming and growled, grabbing the omega’s hips and fucking him fast and hard as he chased his own release. His knot finally caught and stayed, he groaned as he came into Dean.

Dean felt Castiel’s release and moaned loudly, clenching around his knot and milking it for all he was worth. He finally collapsed and fell forward onto his alpha’s chest.

Castiel wrapped his arms tightly around Dean and tried to catch his breath as he rubbed the omega’s back. He found himself still thinking about Dean wanting pups. It seemed odd. Dean had a miscarriage only four months ago, and probably had a horrible experience with pregnancy. Even so, it almost made sense right now. Castiel had been giving everything to Dean, and Dean just wanted to give him something back.

Dean looked up at Castiel and saw him deep in thought. He hummed and kissed his cheek.   
“Whatcha thinkin’ about?”

“You.” Castiel answered. “You have an interesting mind in there. I'm always trying to figure it out.”

Dean smiled a bit and rested his head on his alpha’s chest. His eyelids started getting heavy and he started drifting off to sleep.

Castiel felt Dean falling asleep and gently turned them onto their sides. Once his knot went down he slipped out of Dean and closed his eyes to sleep. 


	10. Surprise

Over the course of three years, Dean blossomed into a whole new person. He was sarcastic, flirty with his mate, confident, and happy. It didn't happen out of the blue. He had gone to therapy and tried a medication for anxiety for a while. He had his panic attacks under control now, and it was very rare that he had one. The only behavior that stuck was sleepwalking. He would get out of bed in the middle of the night about once a week and wander the halls, muttering to himself. Castiel would end up hearing him and getting up to lead him back to bed. Things had changed a lot after a few years. Only a few days after Castiel stopped taking alpha suppressants, he went into a rut. He locked himself in the bathroom for hours while Dean begged him to open the door.

“Cas, it's okay. Please come out. You're scaring me.” Dean was kneeling at the door with a blanket still wrapped around his shoulders. Castiel had already called in sick from work, so that was out of the way.  
“Cas, it's just your rut. There's no reason to be afraid of it.”

“Yes, there is.” Castiel snapped back.

Dean frowned. He didn't understand why he was the one scared of his rut. Did something happen?   
“What is it then?” No answer.   
“Cas, nothing is going to happen. We’ll just get to spend a few days having sex. It'll be fun. There's nothing to worry about.”

“No, it won't be fun.” Castiel had his face buried in his hands and had put himself in the bathtub.   
“If I open the door I'll hurt you just like he did.”

Dean blinked in confusion before everything clicked into place. Castiel grew up with Lucifer, who was a sexual monster. Castiel’s only impression of alphas came from him. He only saw what a monster with no control would do, so when he presented as an alpha, he must have thought he would be the same way. Castiel was scared of himself. Dean shook his head.   
“No you won't. Cas, how long have you been on suppressants?” There was a long pause.

“Since I presented.”

“So you've...you've never had a rut before, and when you started taking them for me, you just started stronger ones?”

“...No, and yes.”

Dean frowned and got up. He walked to the closet and got a wire coat hanger. He straightened the wire and poked it into the hole of the doorknob. He pushed the lock out of place and walked in.

Castiel shook his head, backing up against the back of the tub. “Dean, no! Don't come in!”

Dean walked over to the tub and sat in front of it. “Do you feel compelled to hurt me?”

Castiel’s eyes were wide with fear and his pupils dilated as he caught Dean’s scent. He thought about what he was feeling, and all he could think of was how much he wanted to knot Dean and take care of him. He shook his head.   
“No…”

Dean smiled.  
“See? You're not going to hurt me. I know you never would. You couldn't hurt a fly even if you tried. Now come to bed with me and let yourself go.” He held his hand out for Castiel, who slowly reached out and took it.

Castiel was still wary of the whole situation, but as soon as they got into the bedroom, he buried his face into Dean’s neck and took in a deep breath. His body shuddered and he let out a low growl, nipping Dean’s neck. He pushed him down onto the bed and yanked Dean’s shirt and pants off. His hands glided over his omega’s skin, grabbing at his hips possessively.   
“Fuck, Dean...you smell so good.” He hovered over Dean with a powerful stance, his scent radiating off of him in strong waves. Dean knew he was in for some of the best sex of his life. Castiel pounded him into the mattress, snarling and refreshing the mating mark multiple times. Dean came three times throughout it, completely drained at the end.

~~~

A little more than two years into their relationship, they started trying for a baby. With how young Dean was, they expected it to be easy. After four months of negative tests and discouragement, Castiel took Dean to a gynecologist to see if they could figure out what was going on. She gave Dean some hormone enhancers and said that it’s not easy for some couples. They did nothing but made Dean smell more intense. Dean was heartbroken. He tried everything he read online and Castiel complied, watching as Dean tried every miracle food and position to try and get pregnant. After almost twelve months of trying, Dean asked if they could take a break. He couldn’t take it anymore. Every month, he did all of this prep work for his heat only to be sorely disappointed.

Dean was sitting on the couch, home alone while Castiel worked a night shift. He had taken a break from all of his research, and he was avoiding the internet all together. He had on some nature documentary while he ate a microwave lasagna. He didn’t feel like cooking. Just as he got settled, he heard a panicked knock on the door. He grumbled and got up, opening it only to see Sam standing there with Gabriel hiding behind him.

“Is Cas home?” Sam asked quickly, clearly out of breath.

Dean raised a brow.   
“No...What’s going on?”

“We need help. We screwed up bad.” Sam walked into the house, wrapping an arm around Gabriel.

Dean frowned and led them over to the couch to sit down.   
“I’ll call Cas-”

“No!” Gabriel shook his head. “Please, don’t call him.”

Dean looked at the two teenagers and slowly put down his phone.   
“Okay, I won’t. What happened?”

Sam and Gabriel exchanged a look and nodded, signalling Sam to speak.  
“It was a few months ago. We were...studying...and then Gabe went into heat. We ended up..you know...and then that was it. We thought everything was fine, but Gabe took a test today and it’s positive.”

Gabriel nodded. “I was puking every morning and I’m so tired. I was dizzy all the time and I’m getting fat.”

Dean realized what had happened and his eyes went wide. It was like a punch in the face. He wanted what they had so badly and he tried for a year. They make one little mistake and there it is. Dean got himself back together and swallowed.   
“We can get this figured out. It’ll be alright. I’ll call Cas and he can get this fixed.”

“Cas can’t know.” Gabriel shook his head. “He’s incredibly protective. You’ve seen it. He’ll be furious.”

Dean sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.   
“I know it feels that way but he’ll be more worried than anything.”

“Dean, please. We came to you because we thought you wouldn’t do this to us.” Sam gave Dean his puppy eyes.

Dean looked at them and sighed again.  
“Fine, but I expect you to tell him within the month or I’m telling him that you’ve been hiding it, got it?”

Sam and Gabriel nodded quickly.   
“Got it.” They spoke in unison.

“You understand that not telling him means you’re not getting medical attention?”  
Gabriel nodded.  
“I know, I know, I just...need some time to think through this. I just found out a few minutes ago.” He sighed. “I promise, we’ll tell him. We just need an adult to know so we can get help if we need it.”

“You guys are almost adults yourselves. In a few months you’ll both be living in California and going to college. You’ll be on your own.”

Sam looked down and then at Dean.   
“If this is happening, then I’m not going. I’m staying to take care of Gabriel and the pup.”

Dean’s eyes widened.   
“Absolutely not. You’ve worked your ass off to go to Stanford and Cas and I have had to work our asses off to pay for the portion you don’t have covered by a scholarship. You can’t give that up. What happened to law school?”

Sam huffed.   
“You’re not the boss of me. I’m doing what’s best for my mate. You can’t say anything because you didn’t even go to college.”

Dean was getting worked up now. He was upset on multiple fronts.   
“You’re eighteen and you knocked up your mate. I really don’t think you have the high ground here. You need to think with your brain instead of your dick and realize that what you’re doing isn’t helping your mate, it’s dooming him.”

Sam growled, standing up and squaring up his shoulders. He towered over Dean with a lanky body.   
“I’m not a stupid kid, so why do you still see me like that? Why do you only see everything the way it was before dad gave you up?” he snapped.

That was it for Dean. He threw one hard punch to Sam’s chest and knocked him onto the floor before storming off to his room and locking the door.

Sam had the wind knocked out of him and he coughed. He was immediately filled with regret for what he said and he sighed, rubbing his chest where he got punched.

“You deserved that.” Gabriel had his arms crossed over his chest. “He’s right, you know. He put it harshly but we should still be going to school.”

“That doesn’t matter now. I need to be around to take care of you.” Sam wrapped his arms protectively around Gabriel and sighed.

Meanwhile, Dean was throwing things around the room. Nothing breakable, just the many bottles of vitamins, supplements, and hormone enhancers that he had acquired. He finally stopped and sat down on the bed, burying his face in his hands and breathing heavily. He felt broken.

Castiel got to come home early after another attending doctor came in. He got home and saw Sam and Gabriel on the couch.   
“When did you get here?” He asked.

Sam looked at Castiel.  
“Oh-uh, not long ago. Just hanging out.”

Castiel immediately sensed the bullshit, but he didn’t ask. He saw Gabriel asleep on Sam.   
“You should probably get him home. He doesn’t do well without enough sleep.”

Sam nodded.  
“Yup.” he picked Gabriel up and walked quickly out of the house.

  
Castiel put his bag down and walked upstairs.   
“Dean? You up here?” He called out. He found Dean in their bedroom, watching Doctor Sexy. “Oh no, what happened?” Nowadays, Dean only watched Doctor Sexy when something was bothering him.

Dean sighed.  
“Sam and I got into an argument. I may have punched him in the chest.”

Castiel sat down beside Dean and muted the TV.  
“What was it about?”

Dean’s face contorted a bit. He could usually pull off a perfect lie, but it was impossible in front of Castiel.   
“N-Nothing. Just brother stuff.”

Castiel raised an eyebrow.   
“I smell bullshit. Sam was acting all weird downstairs. What’s going on?”

Dean couldn’t do it. He couldn’t lie to Castiel.   
“You didn’t hear this from me, Okay? So Sam might have accidentally knocked Gabe up.”

Castiel’s eyes went wide and he growled. He wasn’t almost as protective of Gabriel as he was of Dean.   
“He did what?”

Dean turned to Castiel and rubbed his back.   
“Easy, Tiger. He didn’t hurt him. They made me promise not to tell you, which was stupid on their part because for some godforsaken reason I can’t lie to you.”

Castiel’s lips curled into a grin.   
“That’s because you love me.” He kissed Dean’s cheek. “Thank you for telling me. I’ll just pretend that I could smell it on Gabriel and I won’t tell them that you told me. Do you know how far along he is?”

Dean shook his head.   
“No idea. They said it had been a few months but he doesn’t look pregnant.”

Castiel nodded.   
“We can talk to them tomorrow. It’ll be alright.” He paused. “I know this must be really hard on you, but I promise we’ll get through this. We can always go back to the doctor. There are so many fertility treatments and-“

“I don’t want any damn treatments. I just want to be functional enough to do it on my own.” Dean snapped.

Castiel blinked and stared for a moment.   
“I’m sorry I brought it up. Let’s just go to sleep, okay?”

Dean rubbed his face and nodded.   
“I’m sorry I snapped at you.” He rested his head on Castiel’s shoulder. “I’m just sick of being broken.” He closed his eyes and sighed.

Castiel shook his head.   
“You’re not broken. You never were and you never will be. You will always be perfect in my eyes. You’re still perfect even if we go for fertility treatments. It doesn’t mean you’re broken. Some omegas just need a little help, that’s all.”

Dean laid down with Castiel and curled up around his side, one arm moving over the alpha’s chest. He was always bad at responding to things like that. He hid his face in Castiel’s chest.   
“I’ll think about it.”

Castiel nodded and smiled softly.   
“Okay. Get some sleep. I love you.”

Dean couldn’t help but smile.   
“I love you too.”

~~~

Castiel led Sam and Gabriel into the hospital and to the obstetrician. She was a bubbly woman named Rose. The patients loved her and so did the hospital staff. Castiel had gotten Gabriel an appointment to get a sonogram.   
“I have to go to work now. Come downstairs and find me once the appointment is over, okay?”

Gabriel nodded.   
“Okay. I’ll be down soon.” He walked over to the counter and checked himself in. He was given a clipboard with multiple sheets of paper. He filled out the information on it, answering some personal and a little uncomfortable questions. A few of them made Gabriel laugh. “Hey Sammy, you ever have trouble getting a boner?”

Sam nudged Gabriel with his elbow and gave a bitch face.   
“You know I don’t have any problem with that.”

Gabriel filled out the rest of the form and gave it to the receptionist. He didn’t have to wait much longer before an incredibly bubbly nurse came out and called his name. He only pouted slightly when Sam helped him up and led him back with the nurse. They weighed him and measured him before taking him back to an examination room. Gabriel sat down awkwardly on the table as he was handed a hospital gown to change into.   
“Can I keep my underwear on?”

The nurse smiled and nodded.   
“Of course. Just take off your shirt and jeans.” She left the room for him to change.

Sam sat in the chair beside the table and looked around. The fluorescent lighting shone upon diagrams of the reproductive systems and charts with common ailments. He watched as Gabriel undressed and looked him over. Gabriel had missed three heats and was approaching the one when the fourth should hit. He had a little bump that stuck out over his jeans that were sitting low on his hips. This was all...a lot. They weren’t even properly mated. They were only dating and knotted a couple times. It had been really hard on Sam. Every time any alpha looked Gabriel, he would start growling and act insanely over protective. With puberty and all, he couldn’t really help it.

Gabriel chewed his lip anxiously as he waited for the doctor. It was only a few minutes later when she finally walked in. She was a sweet woman who looked like she was in her mid-thirties with long brown hair and round glasses.

“Good morning. How are you both doing?”

Gabriel could help but smile back at her.   
“We’re good.”

Rose plopped down in her chair and looked at the form Gabriel had filled out.   
“Alright, well everything looks good here. All we need to do is an ultrasound to see what’s going on in there. You wrote that you’ve had a positive test and missed three heats?”

Gabriel nodded.  
“I’ve gained a pound or two as well. At least I look like it.”

Rose nodded.   
“Okay, I’m just gonna have you pull your shirt up to your ribs and your pants down just a bit.” She adjusted Gabriel’s clothing once he was done and smiled. “Alright, now this may be a little cold, but it should warm up quickly.”

Gabriel jumped a bit at the cool gel, but quickly relaxed. He tried to get a look at the screen, but he couldn’t see it from the bed.

Sam could see the screen from his chair and watched. He couldn’t see anything but black and white blobs. He finally saw an empty black space and a little white blob at the bottom of it. The image zoomed in and he saw the form of a tiny baby. The moment hit him right in the gut. That was his child. His baby was right there on that screen. He was going to be a dad.

Gabriel saw the look on Sam’s face and really strained to look now. He settled back when Rose turned the screen for him to see. His lips parted and he stared. Everything became real all at once.

Rose smiled softly at them.   
“Looks like youre at thirteen weeks now. Everything looks good so far. I’m going to look around a little more and print some pictures for you to take home. I’m also faxing them to Dr. Novak, per his request.”

Gabriel laughed softly at that.  
“Of course he requested that. He’s so nosy.”

Rose smiled.   
“He sounded so worried. I’m sure he just wants to be sure you’re alright. I don’t know why he wanted them, though. He’s a physician, not a radiologist. He won’t be able to tell what everything is like I can.”

Gabriel and Sam laughed at that. Sam spoke this time.   
“He’s such a worrywort. Oh well. More copies of the pictures.”

Rose looked around for a little while longer before she hit a button and printed several pictures. She put them in a Manila envelope for them and handed them to Gabriel.   
“I want to see you back in seven weeks. Usually I’d do eight, but I want to see you at twenty weeks, because that’s when we’re able to test for almost everything.”

Gabriel nodded. They discussed a few more things like his diet and what he wasn’t allowed to do for the next twenty seven weeks. They scheduled a new appointment before walking downstairs to find Castiel. They found him walking down the hall, his scrubs covered in blood.

“Jesus Christ, Cas!”

Castiel saw them and smiled a bit.   
“Unfortunate ice skating accident. He’s fine now. I stitched him up. How did the appointment go? Did she fax me the ultrasound images?”

Gabriel chuckled softly.   
“Yes, she did. Appointment was great. Except that I have to watch my diet and stop eating so much sugar.”

Castiel nodded with a smile.   
“Good. I’m going to go change now.”

~~~

_Hello! Quick note before I end this chapter. The overwhelming support I had on the last chapter melted my heart. I’m so thankful to have an audience as compassionate as all of you. I hope you liked this installment!_

 


	11. Awkward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey look at me I’m on a roll! This is one of my favorite chapters so far. Expect fluffiness, lots of awkward moments, and a very special day for both couples :)

Castiel had Gabriel move in with him and Dean so that he could keep a careful eye on him. Sam came over everyday once they were done with school. He got all overprotective and growly whenever Castiel came near Gabriel. He hated other alphas being around him and his hormones were screwing him over. A few months passed and it was time for Sam and Gabriel to go off to college. They both got into Stanford and were leaving soon. Castiel and Dean decided to say goodbye to the skiing town of Jackson Hole and they followed Sam and Gabe to Palo Alto, California. They were keeping Castiel’s old house as a vacation home and living for most of the year in Palo Alto. Dean got a job as a mechanic, and Castiel got a job at the hospital near the school. He worked in the ER, which was by far his favorite place to work. The move was incredibly difficult, since Gabriel was seven months pregnant.

“God, I can’t believe I have to sit in the car all friggin’ day. Why can’t we just fly?” Gabriel whined.

Castiel packed the last of the boxes into the impala.   
“Because Dean doesn’t like it. You get to have a roadtrip with Sam. Sounds like fun.” he smiled.

Gabriel narrowed his eyes.  
“No, it’s not. I have to pee every hour. My back hurts and I get really carsick.”

Castiel shrugged.   
“Not my fault. You’ll be alright. I put your lumbar pillow in your seat and if you stick to water instead of soda, you won’t have to pee as often.”

Sam nodded.   
“You should be drinking more water. I read this article about dehydration during pregnancy and it can be really bad.”

Gabriel looked up at Sam with a smile.   
“When have you not found some article?” he got into the passenger seat of Castiel’s car, which Sam was driving.

Dean was still inside. He was hiding in the bathroom and vomiting. He knew he shouldn’t have eaten that sketchy burger last night and now it was biting him in the ass. He threw up one last time before he finally slumped against the wall. Everything sucked in this moment. He got himself up and trudged to the kitchen. He stuffed some plastic bags in his pocket and took one last look at the house he had known for the past three years. This was where he recovered. This was where he found himself again. He walked out the door and to the car.

Castiel noticed the sickly color in Dean’s face and stepped in front of him.   
“What’s wrong, love? Do you not feel well?”

Dean shook his head.   
“Just emptied my guts into the toilet. You were right. That was a sketchy burger.”

Castiel gently cupped Dean’s cheek.  
“I’m sorry you don’t feel good. Come sit down. I’ll drive first.” He guided Dean to the passenger set and got him settled in. He wrapped a blanket around him and kissed his forehead.

Dean smiled softly up at Castiel and wrapped the blanket further around himself. It felt good to be loved.

The drive took 14 hours. It was 9pm by that time. Castiel put Sam and Gabe’s boxes in their shared apartment before doing the ten minute drive to his and Dean’s new house. It was a modern style home on top of a hill. There was a pool in the backyard and a gorgeous flower garden in the front. They walked upstairs and immediately crashed on the bed, curled up together.

Early the next morning, Dean woke up and started throwing up again. Thank god they had the plumbing hooked up or this would have been a mess. Castiel found Dean in the bathroom and sat down beside him.   
“Again? I thought you were feeling better.”

Dean sighed.   
“So did I.” He stood up and wiped his mouth. “This place is even more beautiful than the pictures.”

Cas smiled and nodded.   
“I’m glad we bought this one. It’s a nice big family house.”

Dean smiled and nodded, looking away for a moment.  
“I did some research in the car, and I...I want to register to be a foster parent. We could foster children and find them homes. There are so many out there…”

Castiel smiled.   
“You really want to? I was thinking about something similar. Since we’re not trying for pups anymore, we could consider adoption. Maybe we’d find someone to adopt as we foster.”

Dean nodded.   
“Yeah, that sounds good. Can we fill out an application today?”

Castiel nodded.   
“Come on, let’s go fill it out.” He led Dean downstairs and dug his laptop out of one of the boxes. He sat down with Dean and found a fostering organization for their area of California. The application was massive and they had to sign up for online classes and agree to a home visit.

“They really do their homework. This is a lot.” Dean hummed as he typed in his information.

Castiel nodded as he watched.  
“I don’t blame them. They wouldn’t want shitty people trying to foster kids. I guess we’ll find out next week if we get accepted. Then a week of home visits, then hopefully we’ll be certified. Now, we have a lot of unpacking to do. After that, do you want to take a walk around town? It’s a beautiful day out.”

Dean nodded.   
“That sounds great. I saw a cute coffee shop we could stop by.”

Castiel smiled and nodded.   
“That sounds lovely.”

~~~

Gabriel got back to his and Sam’s apartment after four hours of classes. They had a cute three bedroom apartment with an adorable nursery. They had a jungle theme with pastel green walls and lots of stuffed animals everywhere. Gabriel looked around the nursery with a small smile. Not much longer now and their little boy would be here. Planning around everything had been a hassle, but now that they were all settled in, there was a solid plan going on. Gabriel’s professors were extremely understanding and decided to start recording their lectures and uploading them for all students to watch with a login for the website. It meant that Gabriel could stay at the apartment and take care of his son while he was still in school. He’d have to go in for tests and exams, but luckily he had Castiel and Dean nearby to watch him during that time.

Gabriel sat down on his bed and turned the tv on. His back was aching and he just in general felt like shit. He nearly fell asleep before Sam got back and walked in. Gabriel could tell immediately that Sam was horny. He smiled a bit.   
“Really? We had sex like three weeks ago and it was so awkward.”

Sam sat down on the bed.   
“I’m not thinking about sex. If you don’t want to then we won’t.”

Gabriel raised an eyebrow.   
“Yes you are. You’re horny. I can smell it on you.”

Sam sighed a bit.   
“I can’t exactly help it. I’ve been stuck with my hand for three weeks and every bone in my body wants to mate and claim you.” His eyes darkened a bit with lust. He held back with an astounding amount of willpower.

Gabriel’s pupils widened and he swallowed a bit. Great, now he was horny. Damn hormones.   
“Well...if we’re having a pup, maybe you should. I read that unclaimed omegas have more trouble during labor.”

Sam looked at Gabriel.   
“In That case we need to do this now. I don’t want you to have any trouble that we could have prevented. But...how do we do this? We have a few obstacles here.” He chuckled and moved up next to Gabriel, kissing his cheek.

Gabriel turned onto his side, facing away from Sam.   
“Like this?”

Sam grinned and leaned down, kissing along Gabriel’s neck.   
“Yeah, that works.” He ran his fingers down Gabriel’s sides and turned him onto his back for now. He pulled his shirt off and moved between Gabriel’s legs. He pushed Gabriel’s shirt off and kissed his stomach several times. He purred and smiled. It was still so surreal that he had a pup in there. He pulled Gabriel’s maternity pants off before gently turning him back onto his side. He rubbed his soon-to-be mate’s back with one hand as he undressed himself with the other.

Gabriel smiled up at Sam.   
“You’re an affectionate puppy.”

Sam chuckled and laid on his own side behind Gabriel, kissed his neck.   
“I just love you so much.”

“God, now you’re cheesy too? I’m gonna have a heart attack from all of this sweetness.”

Sam laughed and held his omega against his chest. He reached down and held one of Gabriel’s legs up slightly to keep him spread open as he rubbed himself against the omega’s back. He nipped at Gabriel’s neck as he slowly eased his way in. He growled lowly, using slow, languid thrusts to push himself in.

Gabriel exposed his neck to Sam, holding his leg up as best as he could so that Sam wouldn’t have to take all the weight. He moaned softly and tried to arch back into Sam’s touch, but he couldn’t really move with his stomach weighing him down. His back started aching again, so he held still. He still didn’t know why it was coming in waves like that, but he ignored it, thinking it was just from leaning over a desk.   
“R-remember, you /can’t/ knot me. Doctor’s orders.”

Sam nodded against Gabriel’s neck.  
“Yeah, yeah I got it.” He mumbled. He was slow and gentle with Gabriel. The last thing he wanted was to hurt him. His teeth grazed the omega’s neck as he moved a little faster to get himself going. He slowly lost control and went faster than he usually would. He was able to keep from hurting Gabriel, but when he came, he clamped his teeth down on his omega’s neck and marked him. He lost all sense of reality and his hips snapped forward, pushing his knot in. He growled as he felt Gabriel coming on his knot and grinned as he kissed and licked the mark to soothe it. He still had not realized what he just did, not until Gabriel looked back at him with a pout.

“What did I literally just say?”

Sam looked down between them.  
“Oh, shit...I’m sorry. I lost control and I just-“

Gabriel shushed him.   
“It’s okay. You were gentle so maybe it’s okay...great. Now I have to lay here for half an hour.” This far along, it hurt for him to lay in one position for that long.

“I’m so sorry.”   
Sam nuzzled his now mate’s neck and tried to comfort him.

Gabriel smiled to himself and reached up to feel the mark.   
“It’s official. We’re mates.”

Sam nodded with a large smile.   
“My omega.” He purred, kissing his neck and humming against it.

Gabriel’s smile twisted into a frown as his back ached again. It hurt enough that his entire body clenched up.

Sam gasped softly.   
“Gabe, if you clench on me like that my knot is never going to go down. You just made it swell all the way back up.”

Gabriel huffed.   
“I can’t exactly help it. My back is killing me.”

Sam frowned and propped himself up on one elbow.   
“It wasn’t hurting a few minutes ago. When did it start?”

“This morning. During chemistry. It’s off and on but getting worse.”

Sam’s eyes widened a bit.   
“Like...like contractions?”

Gabriel shook his head.   
“Nope. Not possible.”

Sam made a bitch face.   
“Are you having contractions and in denial of it?”

“Definitely not.”

Sam sighed.  
“I’m calling Cas.”

“No! We’re still tied! Just wait half an hour and then we’ll call him. I’ll be fine.” Gabriel reeked of worry, but he hid it well.

Sam gently rubbed his mate’s arm and kissed his shoulder.   
“Okay, half an hour and then I’m calling Cas.” He spent the next fifteen minutes comforting Gabriel and rubbing his back to help with the aching. He felt his knot going down more and more, but then Gabriel had another contraction. He gasped and tried to hold back, but his knot swelled all the way back up.

Gabriel started to get even more worried.   
“Goddamnit we’re stuck!” He huffed.

Sam grabbed his phone.   
“That’s it, I’m calling Cas. I don’t care if he sees me naked. You need to get help.”

“Yeah well I can’t exactly give birth with your dick stuck in my ass!”

Sam called Castiel, waiting anxiously for an answer.

Castiel and Dean were sitting together at the computer. They were about to take in their first foster child. Her name was Claire and she was sixteen. Her parents died when she was ten and she ran away from a care facility a few months ago. She was found at an omega auction, just like Dean. They hoped that a home would help her rehabilitate. In other news, Dean’s vomiting episodes we’re getting better with the help of probiotics. They had been going on for almost two months now.

Castiel saw his phone ringing. He picked it up and answered.   
“Hello, Sam. Everything alright?”

Sam let out a sigh of relief when Castiel answered.   
“We have a bit of a situation. Gabe is in labor and we’re...stuck.”

Castiel stood up immediately and put Sam on speaker so that Dean could hear them.   
“Stuck where? How far apart are the contractions? Is he alright?”

“He’s alright, i think the contractions are about ten minutes apart? Im not sure on that. We’re not stuck anywhere, but we are physically stuck.”

Dean furrowed his brows.   
“That doesn’t make any sense. How are you stuck?”

Gabriel huffed.   
“Sam got too excited and knotted me. Now we’re stuck.”

Castiel and Dean exchanged a mildly horrified look. Castiel spoke first.   
“Didn’t your obstetrician tell you not to knot him?”

Sam sighed.   
“Yes, she did. It was an accident.”

Dean spoke next.   
“Why don’t you just wait for your knot to go down?”

Sam paused before answering.   
“Because every time Gabriel has a contraction it goes right back up.”

Dean made a face.   
“Gross.”

Castiel led Dean out to the car.   
“Just stay calm. I’m on my way to get you guys out of there.” He hung up and started up his car before he started the drive.

Dean looked at Castiel.   
“Funny how the day we could potentially meet the girl we’re fostering, they’re having their first pup.”

Castiel smiled and nodded.   
“I’m anxious to meet her. I really hope we can give her a good home for as long as she needs it…You smell really sweet today. Are you happy?”

Dean nodded.   
“Yeah, I’m excited, both for us and for Sammy. I think he’s going to be a great dad.” He got out of the car once they arrived and followed Cas up to the apartment. They had a spare key to their apartment that they used to let themselves in.

Sam had covered their lower halves up with a blanket to avoid flashing Castiel and Dean.

Dean made a face as he walked in.   
“You guys reek of mates. Congrats but it stinks.”

Castiel walked over to the bed and did is best to stay professional.   
“Gabe, how are you doing?”

Gabriel groaned.   
“Not great.”

Castiel looked over them and thought over the situation.   
“Okay, I can tell you what they’re going to do to you at the hospital, but I need you to stay calm instead of overthinking it. Sam, can you walk? I can help you carry Gabe.”

Sam nodded and hooked his arms under Gabriel’s arms. With Castiel holding Gabriel’s legs, they were able to carry him safely.

Dean made sure a blanket stayed over Gabriel’s waist and picked up a bathrobe. He put it over Sam’s shoulders so that he came down and covered his bare ass. The group snuck out of the apartment and put the stuck couple in the backseat of the car.

Castiel was freaking out slightly, but he hid it well. He sped only slightly to the hospital. He and Sam worked together to carry Gabriel, who was having another contraction and groaning in pain. He led them to the emergency room and they were sent off to labor and delivery. Sam laid on his side on the bed and tried to comfort his mate, who was writhing in pain.

When Castiel left the room, Dean followed him.   
“How are the doctors going to fix this?”

Castiel chewed his lip.   
“Well, there’s a couple ways, but with how fast Gabe is progressing, they’re probably going to numb Sam’s knot and get him out.”

“Wait, so he has to get a shot…in the dick?”

Castiel nodded and shuddered.   
“I’ve had to do it to a patient before. It’s extremely painful for the alpha but it’s the fastest way to get him out without risking hurting Gabriel.”

Dean nodded.   
“I see why you didn’t tell them now.” He watched as a doctor walked into the room and sighed.   
“Poor Sammy.”

The doctor smiled at Sam and Gabriel, holding a little tray with the injection on it. She sat down beside them.   
“Alright, my name is Doctor Miller. Today I’ll be helping you guys get unstuck here. The safest and fastest way to do this is to make your knot numb, and then you’ll go down almost immediately and we’ll be done!” She chirped.

Sam’s eyes widened. He looked at the tray and saw a needle. He shook his head.   
“Oh god, no no no no, I can’t get a shot there.”

Gabriel looked back at Sam.   
“Deal with it. This is your fault and I’m going to be in so much more pain than you. Suck it up, buttercup.”

Sam gulped and stared at the needle as it got closer and closer to his knot. The doctor make him look away by putting one hand between his line of sight and where she was about to inject the numbing medication. The needle wasn’t huge, but Sam was freaking the hell out. He took several fast breaths as the needle went in before crying out in pain. He freaked himself out so bad that he passed out right then and there. His knot went down and Gabriel was finally free. Sam was moved to the side a bit so that Gabriel could lie on his back.

Dean heard Sam and looked at Castiel with a grin.  
“It almost sounds like Sam is the one giving birth.”

Castiel chuckled and nodded.   
“I’m glad I’m not in there watching. I’d probably faint.”

Sam woke up and looked over at Gabriel, who had his eyes squeezed shut and was panting as he had another brutal contraction. Sam put on the hospital gown that was laying folded up on his stomach before sitting beside his mate and holding his hand.   
“You’re doing so good. Just think about getting to finally meet our little boy.”

Gabriel managed a small smile before another contraction overlapped with the last one.  
“Goddammit!” He shouted.

Dean fell asleep on Castiel as they waited. He was woken up by the strangest sensation in his stomach. It was like a little flutter in his lower abdomen. He opened his eyes and put his hand on it.

Castiel looked over at Dean and assumed he was about to vomit again. He sat up quickly.  
“You okay? You need to go to the bathroom?”

Dean shook his head.   
“I’m not going to puke. Not this time. My stomach just felt weird. Like something moved.”

Castiel furrowed his brows, then all the sudden, he felt like the biggest idiot in the history of idiots. He leaned in and scented Dean before he gasped and beamed. It all made sense. Dean didn’t have a sensitive stomach, he had morning sickness. He wasn’t eating poorly, he was getting little baby bump. He wasn’t just excited, he smelled pregnant.   
“Dean, I think you’re pregnant.”

Dean’s eyes widened.   
“That’s not possible. Doc said I’m infertile.”

“Not really. You’re not sterile and neither am I. It’s completely possible.” He put his hand on Dean’s stomach.   
“It makes perfect sense. You’ve just been having morning sickness. You don’t smell so sweet because you’re excited, you smell pregnant. I’m an idiot. I was so convinced it would never happen that I ignored all the signs.”

“But, Cas, I’ve been taking all of those hormones this whole time. Could that be bad?”

Castiel’s expression twitched. That was bad. Really bad. Proper hormones were extremely important in fetal development. With all of those medications and supplements, who knew what could have happened by now.  
“Yes, but we don’t know that. We have a bit of a crazy day today so tomorrow we’ll get you looked at.”

Dean gulped and nodded. This went from exciting to terrifying very fast. He had to put that aside for a moment when Sam came into the room with a huge smile.   
“C’mon!”

Castiel stood up, holding Dean’s hand tightly. They followed Sam back to a room. Gabriel was sitting on the bed with a blue bundle in his arms. He looked absolutely exhausted, but he was smiling as he looked up at them.

“Come meet Joshua.” He held the baby a little lower so that Castiel and Dean could see him.

Dean walked up to the bed with a wide smile. He saw a squishy little face with a patch of dark baby hair on his head.   
“He looks big.”

Gabriel nodded.   
“He is big. Ten pounds ten ounces.”

Dean made a face.   
“Ouch.”

“Yeah, ouch is an understatement.” Gabriel laughed softly.   
“He’s worth it.”

Castiel looked at Joshua and then at Gabriel.   
“Everything go smoothly?”

Gabriel nodded.  
“Yeah, it went good. We just got him back and they said he’s perfect.”

Dean’s phone started ringing, so he stepped out of the room it answer. It was the foster care facility, asking when they would be arriving to get Claire. He told them that they would be there as soon as possible and hung up. He walked back in and looked at Castiel.   
“Claire’s waiting on us.”

Castiel looked back at Dean.   
“Oh!” He turned back at Gabriel.   
“They’ll take good care of you here. I’ll be back to pick you three up and take you home.” He stood up and followed Dean out of the hospital.

~~~

Claire sat in the chair with her arms crossed. She had a backpack with her only possessions and a couple things the facility gave her. She expected another foster family that would give her back after only a few weeks, just like the others. It was usually some old couple with no kids and five foster children that were half her age. She didn’t expect a young mated couple to walk in and smile at her like she belonged to them. She scoffed and looked away, refusing to look them in the eye.

Castiel approached Claire like he did with Dean when he first found him. He was gentle and kept his distance.   
“Hello. I’m Castiel and this is my mate, Dean. I’m sure you’re ready to get out of here.”

Claire looked up at Castiel.   
“I don’t need you here. Drop the act.” She snapped.

Dean tried to speak next, but he was cut off.

“Let’s just get this over with. Tell them I’m horrible and leave me alone.”

Dean shook his head.   
“You’re not horrible and we certainly don’t think that. We just want to give you someone nice to stay and help you.”

Claire was still scowling, but she huffed and stood up with her bag, willing to follow them.

Castiel unlocked the car.  
“Sorry we’re late. My little brother had a baby today and we were over at the hospital.”

Claire hopped in the passenger seat and put a pair of headphones in, letting Dean get in the back.

Castiel watched Claire and was reminded of what Dean was like at first. He began the drive back to the house. He knew this wouldn’t be easy, but he hoped they could give her a comfortable place to stay and grow up. He drove up the hill to their house and parked.

Claire sat up and pulled her headphones out.   
“/This/ is your place?” Her jaw dropped a bit. She expected a dinky little family home.

Dean smiled and nodded. “It’s nice. We just moved here a few months ago.” He got out of the car and opened the door for Claire.   
“Cas is going to go back to the hospital to stay with our little brothers. I’ll show you around.”

Claire felt a lot more comfortable around an omega and with fewer people around. She held her bag against her chest as she followed Dean into the large house. She was led to a bedroom with a queen sized bed. It had grey and white sheets and potted plants on the table. There was even a ten gallon fish tank with lush plants and a brightly colored betta fish. She set her bag on the bed and looked at Dean.   
“This is mine?”

Dean nodded and opened a door, showing her the full bathroom.   
“All yours. We’re at the end of the hall if you need anything. You hungry? I can make something for dinner.”

Claire thought for a moment before nodding.   
“Yeah, I could eat.”

Dean led her downstairs and into the kitchen.   
“Burgers, pasta, tacos, I can make anything.”

Claire shrugged.   
“Tacos sound good.” She bit her lip.   
“So, what’s your story?”

Dean started getting food out of the fridge and raised a brow.   
“What do you mean?”

“Every foster family has some story. Most of them are old couples that couldn’t have kids. So why did you decide to foster?”

“Well, you’re partially right. We couldn’t have our own. We tried for years.”

“But, you’re pregnant now, aren’t you? I can smell it.”

Dean nodded a bit.  
“We only found out today, and we still really wanted to bring you in.”

“Why? There’s probably an entire book on the times I’ve fucked up.”

“That’s exactly why. You deserve another chance. Also, I was a lot like you when I was your age.” He paused for a moment.   
“When I was fifteen, I presented as an omega. My dad only wanted alpha sons, and money was tight. We lived in our car and dirty motels. Since money was so tight, he sold me. For five years I got traded around by alphas until one day, an alpha brought Castiel to an auction. He rescued me and took me in without question. After a few weeks with him, I fell in love and so did he. We became mates. We’ve been mated for almost four years now.”

Claire stared in mild shock that someone as big and confident looking as Dean was in a place like the omega auctions.   
“Wow.” That was all she could say. She watched as a plate of chicken tacos was placed in front of her and she started eating.

Dean sat down across from her and started eating as well. He felt that fluttering sensation again and put a hand on his stomach.

Claire watched him.   
“Do you know how far along you are?”

Dean shook his head.   
“Not yet. I’m finding out tomorrow.”

Claire nodded.   
“So, your brother had a baby today?”

Dean nodded.   
“Yeah, I’ve got a younger brother named Sam. He’s an alpha. Cas’s younger brother, Gabriel, is an omega. They had their first today.”

“How old are they?”

“Eighteen. They just started their freshman year at Stanford.”

“Wow. They’re young. Are they mated?”

Dean nodded.   
“Only just recently. They’re happy. We got them an apartment where they can raise the baby. It’s a boy named Joshua. We’ll probably go meet him tomorrow if you want to come with us after school.”

Claire shook her head.   
“I don’t go to school.”

“You’re enrolled at Palo Alto High School. I’m driving you there on my way to work tomorrow.”

“Guess they didn’t tell you that I haven’t attended for a single day this year.”

“Then tomorrow will be your first. Look, I’m not trying to be strict. I lost my opportunity to go to high school. I’d give anything to go back now. You don’t have to go, and I really can’t make you, but you’re missing out on so much in your life. You should have the opportunity to learn and make friends.”

“I don’t make friends. Everyone there hates me.” Claire crossed her arms.

“That’s not true. I know that’s not true. The school year has only been going on for a month. There has to be new people. I can promise there’s someone there that’s just like you who’s looking for a friend.”

Claire sighed.   
“Fine. I’ll go.”

Dean smiled softly.   
“Thank you. Oh, we also wanted to see if there was an after school activity we could sign up for. A sport, art classes, music, dance, anything like that.”

“I used to play guitar. My dad used to teach me when I was little.”

“Guitar? I’ve been learning guitar over the past few years. It’s fun. Do you like acoustic or electric?”

“I like both. Do you have one?”

Dean smiled and stood up. He led Claire to the dual office space. Half of the room had bookshelves and desks for Castiel to work at, the other half had several guitars on racks on the wall. There was a shelf full of music books and a stand for sheet music.

Claire’s jaw dropped and she walked in quickly, looking up at the guitars. She ran her fingers over the wood with a small smile.

Dean took the acoustic guitar Claire was looking at down off the wall and handed it to her. He took down another one and pulled Castiel’s desk chair out so that Claire could sit in his chair. He started finger picking a simple melody with a smile.

Claire sat down in the chair and started playing a few wonky chords.  
“God, I haven’t played in years.”

Dean rolled over next to her and showed her a G chord.   
“Second finger goes here.” He strummed the chord and smiled as Claire copied his movements.

~~~

Castiel parked in the garage and walked into the house. He was nervous to see how Dean and Claire were doing. When he walked in, he heard Dean talking and a few guitar strums. He walked back to the office and smiled at the sight. He saw Dean showing Claire how to play the chords for Stairway to Heaven.

Dean saw Castiel and smiled.   
“Let’s show him what we’ve got so far, yeah?”

Claire nodded and strummed the chords Dean showed her while Dean fingerpicked the intro to the song.

Castiel gave a small round of applause when they finished the intro.   
“That was great. I didn’t know you played guitar, Claire.”

Claire shrugged. “I used to.”

Dean handed her a chord chart book and a lesson book.   
“The guitar’s yours. We’ll get you some lessons so you can practice more. You’re a fast learner so I’m sure it won’t take many before you’re playing even better than me.” He chuckled.

Claire’s eyes widened.   
“Really?” She looked at the books and then at Castiel and Dean.   
“Thank you.”

Dean smiled and nodded.   
“You’re welcome.” He looked at Castiel.   
“I made tacos. Yours are on the counter.”

“Sounds good. Gabe and Sam are settled in the apartment.”

Dean nodded.   
“I’m going for a swim.”

Claire looked at Dean.   
“You have a pool?”

Dean nodded.   
“Mmhm. You’re welcome to come out and swim if you’d like.” He hung his guitar back up on the wall and walked up to his bedroom to get his swimsuit on.

Castiel walked to the kitchen and started eating his own dinner. A few minutes after he saw Dean go out back, he saw Claire come downstairs in a bathing suit and go out back. He smiled and went upstairs to change into his swim trunks. He found Dean swimming laps and Claire sunbathing by the pool. He got in and wrapped his arms around Dean, pulling him up.

Dean laughed and hugged Castiel’s arms.   
“What?”

“I love you.” Castiel whispered and kissed his cheek. His hand went to Dean’s stomach and he kissed his cheek.   
“I got you an appointment at the obstetrician for tomorrow afternoon. You should be able to make it during your lunch break.”

Dean nodded and glanced back at Claire, who was getting into the pool now. He threw a playful splash at her and earned one right back in his face. It hit Castiel as well, making him splash both of them back. This began a great splashing war between the three of them until they were all soaked and laughing.

Claire hadn’t been around this much happiness since her parents were still alive. That night, she took a nice, hot shower and slept in the most comfortable bed she’d ever been on.

Dean laid awake almost all night, rubbing his stomach anxiously. Thoughts raced through his head of what could possibly be wrong or right. He finally fell asleep with Castiel’s comforting arms holding him against his chest.

 


	12. Loss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is going to be an emotional one. I’m really on a roll with writing right now so expect another chapter soon! Also, if I started taking one shot requests on tumblr, who would be interested?

Dean tapped his foot anxiously as he waited to be called back. Castiel was sitting next to him and squeezing his hand. The tension was almost unbearable. Dean nearly jumped out of his skin when his name was called. He followed the nurse back and stepped onto a scale as instructed. He had gained at least five pounds, which was a lot for him. He was led to another room and told that the doctor would be in soon.

Castiel pressed a gentle kiss to Dean’s forehead, staying pressed up beside him. He did his best to calm the omega down, but he was scared on the inside too. He took a deep breath as the doctor walked in.

“Urine sample came back positive. You’re pregnant. Now let’s find out how far along you are and see how your pup is doing.” She sat down on her stool and rolled up beside Dean. She put a blood pressure cuff on him and hummed as she pumped it up and checked the reading.   
“Your blood pressure is a little high, but that’s completely understandable with today’s events. I’m not concerned right now. Now for the ultrasound.” She turned on the computer.   
“Just pull up your shirt and roll down your pants just a bit for me.” She squirted a bit of gel on Dean’s stomach, which looked a little softer than usual. She moved the wand around and hummed, trying to ease the tension.

Castiel stared intensely at the screen. He pointed.  
“There, there’s the baby.” A smile came to his face.  
“We have a baby.”

Dean was already getting tears in his eyes. Three years of trying and it finally happened. He wiped his eyes and looked at the screen.  
“Is everything okay?”

The doctor looked around the screen.   
“Still looking.” She furrowed her brows a bit and tilted her head.   
“I...I can’t say for sure now but the baby’s head is much smaller than it should be. Let’s take a listen to the heartbeat.” She pulled out a different wand and ran it over Dean’s stomach. A soft heartbeat started echoing in the room.

Castiel frowned.   
“I hear a murmur. It’s very distinct...what is it? What’s wrong?”

Dean looked up at Castiel.   
“A murmur?”

The doctor tried to calm them down.   
“We don’t know anything for sure yet. Yes, there’s a murmur, but it may take a few more weeks before we know what it is. The most likely cause is a hole in the heart. It’s not terribly uncommon, and there is surgery when the baby is older.”

Castiel squeezed Dean’s hand.   
“Do you think...do you think it has anything to do with all the supplements and medications he was on?”

The doctor sighed softly.   
“It’s possible. The hormone enhancers can cause a few defects. I want to run some tests for genetic disorders. The test is called amniocentesis. I’ll take a sample of amniotic fluid, and from that we can test for chromosomal abnormalities.”

Castiel nodded.   
“Let’s do it. I want to know everything so that we can be prepared. How long will the results take?”

“Two to four weeks. We only do this test once you’re at fifteen to twenty weeks, and right now you’re at sixteen, so it’s a good time to do it. Let’s get you moved to a different room and I’ll be in shortly to do the procedure.”

Dean nodded and got up, following the doctor to a procedural room. He laid back on the bed while a nurse started getting him ready. She pulled his shirt up and disinfected the entire area. She put a sheet over him and started prepping the long needle.

Castiel turned Dean’s head up towards him and held it there so that he wouldn’t look at the needle.

“Is it huge?”

Castiel shook his head.   
“No, it’s small. It’s so thin that all you’ll feel is pressure. They’ve put a topical anesthetic on your stomach so that you won’t feel the poke.”

The doctor came back in and took the syringe. The nurse started up an ultrasound to help guide the doctor.

Dean gulped and felt an uncomfortable pressure in his stomach. He made a small face and tried to look, but his head was held in place by Castiel’s hands. In only a minute, it was over.

The doctor sent the sample off for testing and put a tiny bandaid on Dean’s stomach.   
“You may be a little sore tomorrow, but if you experience any other symptoms call and let me know.”

Dean nodded a bit.   
“Okay. Thank you.” He sat up and took a deep breath. Today certainly wasn’t easy. He was scared for the well-being of his pup. He had to go home alone, since Castiel had to work. He spent his time at home cleaning the kitchen over and over, just trying to think about something else. He picked up Claire from school at four o’clock.

Claire got into the car and looked at Dean.  
“So, How did the doctor’s appointment go?”

Dean gave a smile.   
“Good. I’m at sixteen weeks, they ran some tests, all is well.” He didn’t want to worry Claire. She had enough on her plate.   
“How was school?”

Claire shrugged.   
“I guess it was fine.”

“Make any friends?”

“Sort of. I met this girl named Alex. She’s kind of like me. She’s being fostered by the Sheriff, which is awkward for me because I’ve met her a few times before. Obviously I didn’t tell Alex that, but if I ever go to her house it’ll be weird.”

Dean nodded a bit.   
“Jody Mills, right? She’s from Sioux Falls. I have an uncle up there.”

“Oh no, you know her too. Don’t ask her about me.”

“Why not?”

“There’s a reason no one keeps me. I get into trouble a lot.”

“That’s why we took you in. We’re trying to help get you out of trouble. I was a troublemaker too. You’re going to be alright.” He parked in front of a music store.   
“Your guitar is in the backseat. Your first lesson starts in a few minutes.”

Claire looked in the backseat and got out of the car. She took the case out of the car and followed Dean into the store. They were greeted by a very hipster-y teenager. He had a man bun, red flannel, and ripped up jeans. Dean noticed Claire staring a bit. The guitar instructor was a very flamboyant omega man with a bright pink collared shirt on. He was incredibly sweet and led Claire back to the room to start the lesson.

The boy watched Claire go back and then turned to Dean with a grin, hoping to ask if he was single. Instead he was greeted with a protective dad stare.

“Don’t even think about it.” Dean said sharply before he walked out. He had no idea where that came from. He wasn’t that protective over anything, well, maybe his car, but not people, well maybe Castiel, and Sammy, maybe Dean was just a protective person. He left the music shop and went home to make dinner.

Castiel came home with a massive bag from the pharmacy. He saw Dean and Claire eating burgers and set the bag down on the counter.   
“I got you prenatal vitamins, a belly band, this cream that’s supposed to prevent stretch marks, this lotion that soothes stretched skin, compression socks for when your ankles swell up, and these anti nausea bracelets.”

Dean laughed softly and got up, kissing Castiel’s cheek.   
“You’re too much.”

Claire giggled as well.   
“You guys are cute. So is it a boy or a girl?”

“We don’t know yet. It’s a bit soon for that. Next time we go they’ll tell us.” Castiel explained.   
“How was your guitar lesson?”

“It was good. I got a chord book and I learned some strumming techniques. I tried to make a friend but the guy avoided me.”

Dean had a guilty look on his face that only Castiel saw.   
“Well, he was probably an asshole then.”

Claire shrugged.  
“Guess so. I’m gonna go shower.” She got up and carried her guitar up to her room.

Castiel looked over at Dean.   
“Did you do something?”

Dean looked at Castiel with the same guilty look.   
“There was this hipster guy and out of nowhere I got all protective and told him not to even think about it.”

Castiel walked behind Dean and wrapped his arms around him, his hands laying over his stomach.   
“Well, you’re pregnant, so your hormones are a little all over the place. You see Claire as someone you need to protect, so you defended her.” He nuzzled Dean’s neck and purred.   
“You smell so good.”

Dean hummed and leaned back against Castiel.   
“You do too. You’re all protective and affectionate.”

Castiel smiled and kissed along Dean’s neck.   
“I’m so happy we have a pup.”

Dean nodded, but paused for a minute.   
“I am too, but I’m scared.”

Castiel softly shushed Dean.   
“It’s going to be alright. We’ll get the test results back and everything will be perfect.”

Dean smiled softly and nodded. He tried to agree, but he was still worried.   
“Do you want a boy or a girl?”

Castiel thought for a moment.   
“I don’t know. I think I’d be happy with either one.”

“Me too.” He took Castiel’s hand and led him up to their room. He scented Castiel.   
“Hmmm, you’re starting your rut.”

Castiel nodded.   
“I know. It’s right on time for this season. Already told my superiors at work.”

“Guess I’ll have to call and remind Benny that I’m going to be here with you for a couple days.”

Castiel growled lowly and started running his hands along Dean’s sides.   
“Mine.” He purred, nipping and tugging on Dean’s ear.

Dean purred back and laid back on the bed, pulling Castiel down with him. He connected their lips in a deep kiss as his hands slid under the alpha’s shirt. It always started like this. Dean would take the lead at first and get things started. He’d rile Castiel up until the alpha lost it and took over. It was amazing.

Castiel disconnected the kiss momentarily to take off his scrubs shirt and Dean’s AC/DC t-shirt. He ran his fingers along the omega’s chest, admiring the newly developed muscle. Dean had really filled out over the past few years. His hand trailed down to Dean’s soft stomach and he pressed dozens of little kisses to it, purring loudly.   
“My omega and my pup.” He hummed before moving down and pulled Dean’s jeans and boxers off, nearly ripping the boxers in two. He ran two fingers over Dean’s entrance with a grin.   
“Already wet for me.” He put Dean’s legs over his shoulders and lined himself up. He growled as he pushed in, gasping at the tightness.

Dean moaned and let his head fall back. Whenever he was this turned on, it was easy for Castiel to just push in and it felt amazing.

Castiel lost control and started pounding into Dean, snarling and biting all over Dean’s shoulders and neck. His hips snapped forward over and over as he lost himself in the feeling of fucking his omega.

Dean clawed at Castiel’s back as he held on for the ride. He loved when Castiel went into rut. It meant days of passionate, rough sex that left Dean dizzy and limping. He threw his head back as he came for the first time that night. He barely had time to come down before he was already being hurdled towards another orgasm. When Castiel knotted him, he came again with a cry of his alpha’s name.

Castiel nuzzled his omega’s neck as he purred. His knot was down in ten minutes and he was already hardening again. He slowly started thrusting into Dean again before his pace picked up to the same pounding rhythm as the first time.

It took four rounds before Castiel had exhausted himself for the night. He curled up beside Dean, kissing all over his neck and shoulders. The couple fell asleep together, legs tangled and arms holding each other like precious treasures.

~~~

Dean walked into the doctor’s office in a loose t-shirt. He had a cute little baby bump now that made him look pregnant instead of chubby. He was supposed to meet Castiel here to get the test results back and to get his twenty weeks ultrasound. The test results had taken longer than expected and they decided to wait until they could talk in person about the results.

When the nurse came to find Dean, she had a note in her hand.   
“Hello, Dean. This is from Dr. Novak. There was an emergency that he had to attend to so he’s running late. He said to go ahead and discuss the results but he wants to wait before we reveal the sex of the baby.” She handed the note to Dean.

Dean read the note and saw that it said exactly what the nurse said. He nodded with a small smile.   
“Sounds good.” His heart was pounding in his chest as he walked back to the room. He sat on the edge of his bed and tapped his foot on the floor.

The doctor walked in and gave Dean a forced smile.  
“How are you?”

Dean was made even more nervous by the forced smile.  
“Good, what about you?”

“I’m great.” She sat down in the chair by the bed.   
“We have some results to share with you.” She had to pause for a moment to collect herself.   
“We did find an abnormality in the genetic makeup of your pup. It’s called trisomy-13. The baby has an extra thirteenth chromosome. This causes multiple birth defects. The ones that we’ve already identified are a hole in the heart and microcephaly, which is a smaller head than normal. The baby will most likely have a cleft palate as well.”

“But, that’s all treatable, right? I knew someone who had a hole in their heart. There’s surgery for a cleft palate and a small head can’t be that bad, right?” Dean was trying to be hopeful, but this already sounded bad.

The doctor looked down.   
“I wish it were that easy. The baby isn’t going to develop correctly. There’s a myriad of other issues that are going to come up. Only five percent of babies born with it live to their first year. The average life expectancy is three days after birth. I’m so sorry. The only thing I can really say is that it’s not the fault of the medication you were on. It can cause some defects, but this is genetic. You could have been on nothing and been perfect the whole time and the baby would still have this.”

Dean went silent. His world felt like it was falling apart all around him. He gulped and nodded a bit.   
“What do I do?”

The doctor set her clipboard aside.   
“There are a few options. The first being that we do more frequent scans and keep a careful eye on the baby as you get closer to delivery. We can try to keep the baby alive as long as possible until…” she paused. “There’s no shame in terminating the pregnancy now. If it’s going to be too much, it’s always an option and I can refer you to a clinic.”

Dean quickly shook his head.   
“No. I’ve spent the last four years trying to have a baby. I don’t care if my baby doesn’t have a long life. I still want to have it. I understand why someone would do it, but from where I stand, I just can’t do that.”

The doctor nodded.   
“I understand. Your mate said he’d be down soon. I’ll give you a minute before we do the scan.” She left Dean alone to think.

Dean cradled his stomach in his hands and choked out a sob. He cried over his unborn pup and cried from the pain of knowing that it would never be able to grow up, to learn to walk or say its first word. He would never get to cry as their baby went off to college or had children of their own. It hurt like nothing Dean had ever felt. All the beatings, all the words, even his miscarriage with Lucifer was crushed by the agonizing pain he felt now.

Castiel was filled in by the doctor in the hallway. His heart broke at the news as he went to his omega, hugging him tightly as he kissed his head.   
“I’ve got you.” He whispered. He cried over Dean’s head, tears running into Dean’s hair.

Dean cried into Castiel’s shoulder now. It felt better than crying alone. He wept until he had cried himself out.

The doctor returned and sat down in the chair.   
“I’ve written a referral to a counselor that will help you through this. For now, let’s check on you and take a look at your pup.” She picked up a blood pressure cuff and put it around Dean’s arm. She had a gentle and caring touch to help keep Dean calm.   
“Your blood pressure is still really high from a few weeks ago. It’s higher than it would be if you were just anxious. You may be at risk for preeclampsia. We’ll keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn’t get bad, Okay?”

Dean nodded a bit. He didn’t even care if there was something wrong with him. He only cared about his baby.

Castiel shook his head.   
“Dean, are you anxious right now? Please tell me you are, because you /can’t/ have that.”

The doctor looked at Castiel.   
“Surely you know that it’s fairly common. It’s only dangerous if it develops into eclampsia, and that’s rare.”

“The first patient I ever lost was a beta woman with preeclampsia. She came in after a seizure and I couldn’t save her. I can’t-“ he choked up. “I can’t watch that happen to Dean. Is there any treatment or cure?”

The doctor shook her head.   
“Low sodium diet, no strenuous activity...that’s it. The only cure is delivery. Obviously I can’t make any promises but he’s not showing severe symptoms so I don’t think there’s any cause for alarm.”

Castiel was having trouble trusting another doctor. He held Dean’s shoulder tightly, his hand shaking. He took a deep breath and just nodded.   
“Okay, Sorry.”

“It’s okay. I understand your worry. It’s a scary title. But luckily, you’re a doctor. You know what symptoms and red flags to look for when you’re around him.” She started prepping the ultrasound.

Castiel watched her work.   
“Doesn’t an ultrasound tech usually do this?”

The doctor nodded.   
“Usually, yes, but I’m trained to work it and it’s easier for my patients and I to talk as I’m looking.” She explained.

Castiel nodded and helped Dean lay down on the bed. He kissed his mate’s forehead and held his hand as they started the ultrasound. The first time this machine looked at their pup, it was one of happiest moments of their lives. Now it was one of the hardest. With what they knew, seeing their pup hurt like hell. They were both crying as they looked at the clear form of their baby.

“Is that its hand? Is that a thumbs up?” Dean asked.

The doctor smiled softly and nodded.   
“You’re lucky that you got a thumbs up. I’ve had several flip me off.” She chuckled and continued to look around.   
“The heart is where I’m most concerned. It’s extremely enlarged. The lungs aren’t developing fast enough either. They should be much further into development than this. Also, there are six fingers on one hand.”

Dean closed his eyes as he listened to all the problems the doctor was listing.   
“Does anything look good?”

“The eyes. Usually they’re very close set and it makes it harder for them to see, but they look good. Your baby will be able to see you good. Do you want to know the sex?”

Both Dean and Castiel nodded eagerly.

The doctor moved the wand and looked closer at the screen.   
“It’s a boy.”

Dean smiled at that. He was going to have a son. They already sort of had a girl, so a boy would be nice for however long they had him.   
“Hi, buddy.” He said softly.

Castiel smiled softly as well and wiped the tears from his eyes. He watched as the doctor finished the ultrasound and wiped off Dean’s stomach.

“Alright, so here’s a packet with the diet you need to be one. There’s things you can’t have and things you need more of. Don’t put salt on anything and avoid anything with a high sodium level. That can elevate your blood pressure. No strenuous activity or heavy lifting. You’re a mechanic, right? No going under cars or doing anything that requires a lot of force.”

Dean nodded along.   
“I can do that. Thank you.”

The doctor smiled softly and nodded.   
“You guys are going to be alright. Hang in there, Okay? I’ll see you in a few weeks.” She left the room.

~~~

“How do we explain this to Claire?” Castiel asked. They were parked outside the school and waiting for her to come out to the car.

Dean sighed.   
“We don’t. She has enough on her plate.”

Castiel shook his head.   
“We can’t lie to her. She deserves to know.”

Dean sighed and nodded, running a hand over his face.   
“You’re right, you’re right.”

Claire hopped into the car and set her bag down. She instantly sensed the tension in the car.   
“What’s wrong?”

Dean turned around in his seat.   
“We’re alright. We got the test results back and they’re...they’re not good. The baby has something called trisomy-13. He has an extra thirteenth chromosome. It doesn’t sound that bad in theory, but his heart, lungs, brain, and limbs aren’t forming correctly. Most likely, he won’t make it to his first year.” As soon as he said it, everything felt even more real than before.

Claire stared in shock and disbelief.   
“I...I’m so sorry.” That’s was all she could say. She couldn’t imagine what they were going through.   
“There’s...um...if you want, there’s always other families looking to foster. You have a lot on your plate now and I understand if you can’t keep me any longer.”

Dean quickly shook his head.   
“Claire, no. If anything we need you here more than ever. Hell, a few days ago Castiel and I were talking about adoption.”

Claire’s eyes widened.   
“You...you want to adopt me?”

Castiel nodded.   
“We spoke for a long time. We decided that we don’t want you to go to another family. We want you to stay with us. Of course, that’s only if you want to.”

“O-of course I want you too.” She had tears in her eyes.   
“I haven’t had a family in years, and being with you guys makes me feel like I’m part of one again.”

Dean reaches back and took Claire’s hand.   
“The paperwork may take a while to go through, but no matter what, we’ll always consider you our daughter.”

Claire leaned forward and hugged Dean’s arm tightly, crying into it with tears of joy.

Castiel put his hand on Claire’s shoulder.   
“We’re home.”

Claire looked up at the house and smiled. For the first time in years, she could really believe that she was home again.   
“Home.”


	13. Broken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one’s gonna hurt, but I promise it has a nice ending. Also, I wanted to thank the user that pointed out an error in a previous chapter. I meant for it to sound like Dean was at risk for preeclampsia, not a definitive diagnosis from one reading. The entire chapter is the same, I just changed the wording to fix that error. I love constructive critism because it helps me improve as a writer, so if you find something that doesn’t make sense please point it out so I can better myself!

That night, Castiel was way more affectionate than usual. He was clinging to Dean like a koala and hardly noticed how distant his omega was. It wasn’t until Dean pushed him away that he realized something was off. When he opened his mouth to speak, he got shushed. He was taken aback, but he understood that Dean might need some space. He backed off and laid a few inches away from him. He got pushed again and finally he ignored Dean’s shushing.   
“You can just tell me to move over and I’ll gladly do it.”

Dean had his back to Castiel.   
“I want you to leave me alone.” He snapped. His mind was in a dark place. Everything hurt so much that he was lashing out.

“I...I’m sorry. I’ll be quiet.” Castiel moves to the other end of the bed and curled up, trying to ignore the emptiness he felt in his arms.

Dean had silent tears running down his cheeks as he cradled his stomach.   
“Get out,” he mumbled.

Castiel couldn’t quite hear him.   
“What?”

Dean sat up slightly and looked at Castiel.   
“I said, get out!” He shouted.

Castiel sat up.   
“Dean, baby, I know you’re hurting, but pushing me away is only going to make it worse.”

“You’re the one who did this to me! I told you to get out!”

Castiel was in shock from how angry and upset Dean had gotten over the span of only a few minutes.   
“Why are you talking to me like this?” His voice sounded hurt.   
“Please, let me help you.”

“You’ll be a lot more help if you get away from me. As far away as possible. I don’t want to see you right now!” That was a complete and utter lie, but he was so angry at the world and taking it all out on his mate.

Now Castiel was getting angry.   
“Have you even thought about how I feel? This is hard on me too. It hurts. You’re not the only one going through this. Just let me help you. We’re better together.”

Dean was completely worked up now.   
“You can’t say that! You /bought/ me like a fucking slave! You took advantage of me at my weakest state and now I’m losing my child all because of you!” Then, he went too far.   
“You’re just like your brother.” The hurt he saw on Castiel’s face broke his heart into a million pieces. It was like Castiel just watched someone he loved die.

“Y-you can’t mean that…”

“I mean it.” No he didn’t.

Castiel stormed out of the room and slammed the door. He went down to the basement and crashed on the rec room couch. He sobbed into a pillow, his nails digging into it. The next thing he knew, he was opening up the liquor cabinet and drinking down everything he could find. It hurt so bad. He just wanted to forget everything. The alcohol burned his throat like the tears burned his eyes. He was already losing his baby, now he was on the verge of losing his mate.

Claire wrapped her arms around her legs. She couldn’t hear exact words, but she heard doors slamming and yelling. She struggled to sleep, anxious about the well-being of her soon-to-be adoptive parents.

Claire woke up the next morning and quickly got ready for school, having hit the snooze button six times that morning. She was riding with Jodi and Alex this morning, so she didn’t bother Castiel, who looked horrible as he left for work. She couldn’t stop thinking about the fighting she heard last night. There was no way they could adopt her if they were fighting like that. If they split, she’d end up in another home and would most likely never see them again. When school ended, Dean was supposed to pick her up. She sat outside, waiting for the impala to drive up. She tapped her foot anxiously and listened to Foo Fighters.

~~~

Castiel walked by the desk and was called over by the receptionist.

“Some girl is trying to get ahold of you.”

Castiel took the phone.   
“Claire? Is that you?”

“Yeah, it’s me. So, Dean never picked me up. I’m okay, I got a ride from Jodi, but I just got home and I can’t find him. His car is gone and so is all of his stuff.” She sniffled. “Is this about the fight you had last night?”

Castiel’s heart sank to his stomach. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.   
“Have you tried to call him? Is he answering his phone?”

“I called him six times at school and twice at home before I called you. He won’t answer. He’s ending the calls mid ring too so I know he’s hitting the button to ignore me...is this my fault?”

“No, Claire, this isn’t even close to your fault. This has nothing to do with you. Dean’s mind is in a very dark place right now. He needs our help and he’s scared to ask for it. I’ll find him.”

Claire nodded a bit. She went up to her room.   
“Wait, I found a note. It’s for me from Dean. It says, ‘Claire, I’m sorry you got dragged into all of this. None of this is your fault. I’ve left and I don’t plan on returning. I’m ditching my old phone too. Don’t look for me because you won’t find me. Cas will take good care of you...don’t tell him I left this.’ Too late now. ‘Stay safe out there and do good in school. Keep up that guitar and talk to the guy in the music shop. He likes you but he’s afraid to talk to you because I may have growled at him. Sorry. I’ll always love you as my daughter. Goodbye.’ “ Claire was crying now.   
“It sounds like a fucking suicide note. He wouldn’t do that, would he?”

Castiel was crying too.   
“No, he took his things with him. He’s staying somewhere if he took his clothes. If he was planning on suicide, he would have left everything behind. I promise I’ll find him. I’ll be home in a few hours with dinner, then I’m going to find him. I’ll take you to stay with Jodi.”

“Okay. I’m going to call Jodi now. Bye.”

“Bye.” Castiel hung up and sighed. One of his coworkers looked at him.

“Man, you don’t look good. Everything alright?”

Cas shook his head.  
“No.”

The other doctor frowned.   
“My shift just ended. Want me to finish yours? I need the money and you look like you need some sleep.”

“That...That would be great. Thank you so much.”

“Anytime. Go get some rest.”

Castiel walked to his office and hung up his coat before grabbed his bag. He walked out to his car and sat in thought. He had no idea where his mate could be. He couldn’t just drive around the country to look. He had Claire to take care of. The thing was, Dean had to come back at some point. He didn’t have anywhere else to go. He decided to call the auto shop and see what they had to say. They told Castiel that Dean just quit out of nowhere today. That’s what really scared him. Dean had really just left town entirely. He drove back to the house and told Claire that he would be staying, so that she didn’t need to go stay with Jodi. He made her waffles with fruit for dinner and ate in silence. He could only hope that Dean would come back.

  
~~~

Dean was going on six weeks on the road. He spent three days in each motel and hustled pool on the weekends. It was getting really hard to hide his pregnant belly. At twenty six weeks, he was pretty big. Everything happened on a schedule now. During the day, he would sleep and walk around town. At night, he drank water in bars and stared at underdressed women. He was smart enough not to drink any alcohol, but he completely ignored the doctor’s advice on a low sodium diet. After six weeks of fries and burgers, he was starting to look sick. He always had a headache, he threw up most of his meals, and his hands and feet were all puffy. He had dark circles under his eyes that aged him by at least five years. In the evening, he always got a voicemail from Castiel that he would ignore. He never ended up ditching his phone. He didn’t have enough money for a new one.

Today was different. This time, he got three voicemails from Castiel and then, one from Sam. Sam was the one person who had yet to reach out to him. He stared at his phone, going over his options. Finally, he called Sam back. There was an answer immediately.

“Holy shit, Dean?!”

Dean sighed.   
“The one and only. What do you want?”

“We’ve all been so worried, Cas has been calling you every day, and Claire got sent away-“

“What?!”

“Well, you left. The foster care facility found out and took Claire back. Cas tried to adopt her but he’s a wreck, so he got denied. He can’t even see her. Where are you right now?”

“I...I don’t know. Somewhere in Vegas.”

“Really? What the hell are doing in Vegas?”

“Gambling, trying to forget everything.”

“Please tell me you aren’t drinking while pregnant.”

“I’m not. I haven’t had one drink. Is Claire alright? Have you talked to her?”

“No. I can’t get ahold of her. Last time I saw her, she was pissed. Mostly at you.”

Dean sighed heavily.   
“I don’t know what to do. I can’t go back.”

“Why not?”

“You have no idea what I said. He’ll never want me back. I said the worst possible thing I could think of.”

“He wants you back desperately. He’s practically an alcoholic without you. I haven’t seen him /not/ drinking unless he’s working or about to work. You need to go back, now.”

“No.” Dean hung up and muted his phone to avoid the inevitable calls he was going to get. He needed air. He dragged a hand over his face and got up, rubbing his stomach. He felt several kicks and sighed.   
“I know, kiddo. Let’s go for a walk.” He walked about of the shitty motel room and put his hands in his pockets as he walked. His mind felt cloudy. All he could think of was how shitty he felt. He didn’t even notice someone walking up behind him. By the time he did, it was too late. A cloth was held over his face and before he could fight, the world went dark.

~~~

Claire had run away. She had enough of being kept away from Castiel and Dean. Now she was determined to find Dean and give him a piece of her mind. She managed to track his phone and had hitchhiked all the way to Vegas. She looked at the waypoint on her phone as she walked down a sketchy street. She shivered and growled at anyone who looked her way. She realized that she was at the right location and looked around. All there was was an alley. She slowly walked into it and looked around.   
“Dean? You there?” She said softly. She suddenly stepped on something and turned on her phone flashlight. She gasped in horror before screaming at the sight. On the ground, she saw Dean. He was sprawled out with a pool of blood between his legs and on his side. Claire started hyperventilating as she dialed 911. Suddenly, a man came up behind her and grabbed her around the waist.

“Don’t you dare call anyone.” He growled.

Claire pulled a taser out of her pocket and tased the man in the neck. She kicked him in the groin and growled back before calling the police.

~~~

Castiel was laying on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. For once, he was sober. He was lost in thought, wondering what Dean was doing. Maybe he was with someone else, someone better than him. That would be nice, to know that his pup was safe.

His phone started ringing. He sighed and answered.   
“Hello?”

Claire was sitting in the lobby of a hospital, still crying.   
“Cas, I need help.”

Castiel sat up faster than he’s ever sat up in his life.   
“Claire? I’ve been calling you all day. What’s wrong? Where are you?”

“I-I ran away. I went looking for Dean.”

“Oh, honey...he...I don’t think he’s coming back. He-“

“No, no I found him!”

Castiel’s eyes widened.   
“You...you found him?”

Claire nodded and wiped her eyes.   
“I tracked his phone. He’s in Vegas. I went looking for him and I found him in this alley all covered in blood and now I’m in the hospital and they won’t let me see him and I’m so scared-“

“Shhh, Claire I’m on my way now. Deep breaths. It’s going to be alright. Just stay there and I’ll come to you. Call me again if you get any updates, Okay?”

“I will. Thank you.”

“I’ll see you soon.” God, he had never been so happy for it to be a Friday so that he didn’t have to work in the morning. He ran out to his car and put the address of the hospital that Claire had texted him into his GPS.

Castiel drove all night to make it to Vegas. He ran into the hospital and saw Claire sleeping in the waiting room. He walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

Claire woke up and looked up at Castiel.   
“You look like shit. Have you been driving all night?”

Castiel nodded.   
“Yeah, but I’m fine. Where’s Dean?”

Claire pointed down the hall.   
“Third door down. He was asleep the last time I checked.”

Castiel nearly ran to the room and pushed the door open without knocking. The sight in front of him made him go weak in the knees. He saw Dean, sleeping in the hospital bed with an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose. He had monitors and IV lines all up and down his arms. What really scared him was the line that was connected to a bag of blood. He walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge of it. He burst into tears and held his omega’s hand tightly. He couldn’t imagine who could hurt him like this. He didn’t even know what happened. All he knew was that Dean looked really, really sick.

A doctor walked in and saw Castiel.   
“Are you Castiel?”

Castiel shot up and looked at the doctor. He nodded and wiped his eyes.   
“Yes, that’s me. What happened? How much blood did he lose? Is the pup safe? How was his blood pressure? We’re his sodium levels high? Is-“

“Easy, we’re taking good care of him. Last night he was found by his daughter in an alley. He had a stab wound and was bleeding between his legs. When he got here, we were able to determine that the stab wound had missed both vital organs and the pup. It’s a miracle that it did. The bleeding between his legs was from a knot being yanked out too fast. He hasn’t woken up yet, so we’re still unsure of what exactly happened. The man who did it has been arrested. His daughter used a taser on him multiple times.”

Castiel’s grip on Dean’s hand went even tighter.   
“And his blood pressure?”

“His sodium levels are extremely high and his blood pressure has been consistently way over what we’d like it to be. It was at 160/100 about an hour ago. Has he been diagnosed with preeclampsia?”

Castiel shook his head.   
“No, he was just at risk. He was supposed to be eating a low sodium diet but then he ran away and I don’t know what he’s been doing.”

“Are you his mate?”

Castiel nodded.   
“Yes.”

“Do you know why he ran away? We can always check him into the mental facility if you’re worried about him hurting himself.”

“No, no, he doesn’t need that...Our pup has trisomy-13. We’ve been trying for years and now...we’re going to lose him. We were hoping he defects wouldn’t be too severe, but we were told he wouldn’t make it to his first year. We had a fight that night and the next morning he was gone.” He looked down at Dean’s sleeping face and gently rubbed the back of his hand.

The doctor slowly nodded.   
“That’s...I’m so sorry to hear that. He’ll probably wake up soon. I’ll give you some privacy.” He left the room, leaving the couple alone.

Claire walked into the room and sat next to Castiel, resting her head on his shoulder.   
“I missed you.”

Castiel gently rubbed her arm.   
“I missed you too. The house feels empty without you.” He looked at Dean and then back at Claire.   
“I heard you tased the guy who did this to Dean. Nice work.”

Claire smiled a bit.   
“Thanks. Stole it from the facility.”

“Okay, not so good, but at least you were able to protect yourself and Dean.”

Claire looked at Dean.  
“His stomach looks bigger now.”

Castiel nodded.   
“It does. It’s been six weeks now. Now, the baby should be able to hear us.”

Claire looked at Castiel and then back at Dean’s stomach. She scooted a little closer.   
“Hi, baby. Tell your mom to wake up. We miss him.”

Dean’s face scrunched up a bit and he squirmed.   
“Stop kickin’ me.” He mumbled.

Claire smiled and hugged Dean.   
“Dean!”

Dean’s eyes snapped opened and he saw Claire gently hugging him. He hugged her back and closed his eyes.   
“Claire, how the hell did you get here?”

“I tracked your phone. I found you in that alley and I tased that guy.”

Dean chuckled a bit.   
“That’s my girl.” His eyes drifted to the other body in the room. He saw Castiel sitting on the bed, not making eye contact with Dean and wringing his hands together, clearly scared of what he was about to hear.   
“Claire, could we have just a minute of privacy?”

Claire looked between them and nodded.   
“Yeah, Okay.” She left the room with a worried look on her face.

Castiel sighed.   
“I understand if you don’t want me to be here right now, but that’s my pup too. I want to see him as much as possible. And...you were right. I’m just like my brother. As soon as you left I lost myself. I’ve never consumed so much alcohol in my life. I got so bad that they took Claire away from me. I kept going to see her and now I’m not allowed back there until I get myself together. Honestly I don’t think that can ever happen again. I’m broken, just like him. I’m sorry that I hurt you so much. I-“

“Stop. Now. Look at me.” Dean gulped.   
“I didn’t mean a single word of what I said then. I was so angry at the world and I still am. I did the wrong thing and took it out on you. You couldn’t hurt a fly. You have never once hurt me or even come close to doing so. I missed you more than I’ve ever missed anyone in my life. I fucked up bad. I didn’t listen to the doctor. I’ve been eating like shit and it’s been making me sick. I can’t keep food down and my hands and feet are like balloons and I get dizzy and I get spots in my vision-“ he stopped to take a breath.   
“I’m so, so sorry. I love you so much and I’d do anything to have you back. If anyone is like your brother...it’s me.” He had tears pricking at his eyes.

Castiel lunged forward and hugged Dean against his chest, mindful of his stomach and injuries.   
“No, don’t ever say that. You are nothing like him. I love you more than anything. You’ll have me no matter what. There’s nothing you could do to send me away.” He kissed Dean’s cheek, taking a minute to simply hold him in his arms.  
“As for your blood pressure, it’s dangerously high. The doctor told me about it. I want you on strict bed rest until the pup is born. That means you don’t get up except to go to the bathroom, and even then either Claire or I will help you get there. No salty foods and I’m putting you on a strict low sodium diet.”

Dean nuzzled into Castiel’s neck, inhaling the scent that he had missed so much.   
“Okay, whatever you say, Doc.” He teased.

Castiel chuckled softly and turned the omega’s head to pull him into a gentle and loving kiss.

~~~

Dean had to stay in the hospital for two days to make sure his stitches were staying properly and it was safe for him to go home. They had to drive all night just to get back in time for Castiel to work in the morning.

Castiel parked in the driveway and carried Dean up to bed. He had about an hour before he needed to leave. He spent the time on the bed with Dean, kissing all over his stomach and whispering to their pup.   
“The baby’s ears are developed enough to hear us now.”

Dean smiled.   
“You know, he needs a name. I had one in mind.”

Castiel smiled.   
“You do? What is it?”

“Isaac. Kind of biblical like your name but short and sweet like mine.”

Castiel smiled and hummed.   
“Isaac…I like it. What about his middle name?”

“That, I have no idea.”

Castiel kissed his stomach.   
“We’ll think of something.” He smiled and looked at the clock.   
“I have to go to work. I’ll see you tonight. Don’t get up except to go to the bathroom and be extremely careful. Your food is right here by the bed.”

Dean nodded and smiled.   
“I’ll be fine. No need to worry. Go get Claire to school and go to work.”

Castiel kissed Dean’s forehead.   
“Alright, Alright, I’m leaving.” He smiled and left the room, closing the door. He led Claire out to the car and drove her to school.   
“Claire, after school, I need you to go back to the foster facility. Just for a day or two. I just can’t risk getting arrested for kidnapping if you’re found with us. We’ll get you back home and start the adoption process, okay?”

Claire frowned a bit at the thought of going back, but she nodded, knowing Castiel was right.   
“Okay. I trust you. I’ll get a ride from Jodi.”

Castiel nodded and hugged her.   
“I’ll see you soon, okay?”

Claire hugged Castiel back and nodded.   
“See ya.” She got out of the car and walked into the school.

~~~

Dean looked at his phone and chewed on his lip. He opened up his voicemails and clicked on the earliest one from Castiel.

“Dean? Claire just told me that you’re not home. She read me the note you left. She’s scared that you’ve decided to…kill yourself. I told her that you would never do that and that it didn’t make sense since you took all your clothes…anyways, please call me back. Bye.”

Dean winced at that one. His letter did sound a lot like a suicide note, didn’t it? He clicked on a later voice mail. In this one, Castiel was very clearly drunk.

“Dean? I-I dunno...I dunno what to do. Please, come home to me. All I wan’ is to hold you and tell you ‘m sorry and…fuck I miss you.” It cut off.

In this one, Castiel was sobbing.   
“Dean, I can’t do this anymore. I can’t live without you. I…I miss you so much. Please come home. They took Claire away from me. I’m losing everything I love all at once and I can’t take it. I know you don’t need me anymore, but I need you. I love you so much.”

Then the most recent one.   
“Dean, if you’re even there, please just hear me out. You were right about everything. I was wrong and you were right. You deserve the world. If I can’t be the one to give it to you, that’s okay. Just know that I’ll never stop loving you or missing you. I want to help you…Are you even there? I’ve been doing this everyday. Do you just delete these? Did you really ditch your phone? I know you didn’t. You’re hanging up before it finishes ringing…I’m sorry…I shouldn’t be so accusatory…Gabriel and Sam are doing good. Joshua is getting even bigger. Poor Gabe is having trouble carrying him all the time. You should come visit…I’ll be calling again tomorrow, as usual. Bye. I love you.” He sounded so sad and defeated. It broke Dean’s heart that he had done this to Castiel. It was all his fault that he even brought Castiel to that kind of breakdown. He decided that he was done listening to these. He deleted all of them, unable to listen anymore. A few hours later, he heard a knock at the front door. He was 99% sure it was unlocked, so he just shouted,  
“Come in!” He listened to two pairs of footsteps walk in and smiled softly when Sam and Gabriel walked into the bedroom.

Sam ran over to Dean and hugged him tightly before punching him in the shoulder.

“Ow! What was that for?”

“For scaring me. Are you alright? Castiel said you were in the hospital.”

Dean nodded. “I’m grand.” He pulled back the covers and his shirt, showing Sam the bandages over his stab wound.   
“It was a lucky shot. Missed all my vital organs and the pup. Still hurt like a bitch.”

Gabriel shushed him.   
“Watch your language.”

Sam laughed.   
“You stubbed your toe this morning and dropped the f-bomb. You can’t say that.”

“It still hurts.” Gabriel pouted. He walked over to Dean and handed Joshua to him.

Dean took his nephew and smiled at the sweet brown-eyed baby.   
“He’s getting big.”

Gabriel nodded.   
“And heavy. So how did you get stabbed?”

Dean realized that he would have to lie.   
“I got mugged. Claire found me and fought the guy to the ground. She saved my life.”

Sam smiled softly.   
“I really hope the adoption process doesn’t take too terribly long. She really does love it here.”

Dean nodded.   
“I see her as my own. I’d be so proud to call her my daughter.”

~~~

Castiel came home that night and found the house quiet and empty. He found his omega sleeping peacefully in bed and smiled, kissing his forehead.

Dean’s eyes fluttered open and he looked up at the alpha.   
“You’re home.” He smiled. God, it felt good knowing that he wasn’t alone.

“More importantly, /you’re/ home. How are you feeling? Any heachaches or blurry vision?”

Dean shook his head.  
“Not today. I ate the food you made me. It was good. Gabe and Sam came by for a little while today. It was good to see them.” He paused for a moment.   
“I...I listened to your voicemails today. Not all of them, just a few...I-“

“There’s not anything to be said other than what we’ve already said. All those messages show is how much I need you in my life. You’re the most important thing to me and I was broken without you.” Castiel kissed his cheek.  
“Please, promise you’ll never leave me again.”

“I promise, I swear to god that I’ll never leave you ever again. I...I need you too. You know how hard it is for me to say that, but I mean it. I need you.”

Castiel got into bed and held his omega in his arms, cradling his stomach.   
“I love you so much. Both of you.”

Dean places his hands over Castiel’s and smiled softly.   
“I love you too. I know Isaac does too. He kicks nonstop whenever you’re around...I want to make a nursery for him. I know he may not even come home, but I think we should have one anyways.”

“I think that’s a great idea…you know, you don’t have to pretend like you’ve suddenly accepted what’s going to happen. I’ve noticed that in you since you got back. I’m certainly still not okay thinking about it.”

Dean sighed.   
“It’s not that I’m pretending that I’m okay, it’s that I’m just so happy to be home. I was so painfully alone, and I refused to believe that I had people that loved me...I still have trouble with that sometimes. But, I know now that no matter what happens, you’re not going anywhere, and I need that kind of reliability. Thank you for that.”

Castiel smiled softly. It wasn’t often that he got this raw honesty from Dean.   
“You’re very welcome. I think making a nursery will help. We have no idea how long he’ll live yet, so we should prepare for the best case scenario, in case we bring him home.”

Dean nodded.  
“Do you think...the doctors will even let us? Like, what if he needs all of these tubes to stay alive and they make us keep him there until the inevitable?”

Castiel shook his head.   
“I’ve seen a situation like this before. If you sign a waiver, you can take the baby home. No one can force you to keep him there forever. We’ll just have to see what happens when he’s born. I’ve done so much research on trisomy-13, and every case is different. Some of them live for weeks off of life support and some don’t. It’s all a matter of circumstance. Whatever happens, we’ll work through it, Okay?

Dean nodded and nuzzled into Castiel’s neck.   
“Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know. Poor Dean is just in a dark place right now. I told you it had a nice ending. Bear with me. They’re going to get through this together.


	14. (Almost) Perfect

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GET READY THIS IS A LONG ONE! Thank you to everyone who suggested a doctor scene with Cas and Claire! I hope you enjoy what I came up with! Also this chapter might make you cry. Don’t worry, I have lots of happy stuff planned, along with some sad stuff too. Hang in there with me. I’m on a roll right now and I have no plans of stopping!

When Castiel and Dean found out that the adoption process would be much faster if they fostered Claire for six months, they decided that they would go with that option so that she could live with them the whole time. Otherwise she’d go to another foster family that could be hours away. Of course, they had to be re-evaluated to see if they were still a suitable home. The process took an entire month. After Castiel’s breakdown and Dean’s disappearance, the agency was reluctant to send her back. They finally decided that they were a stable couple and would provide a good home for Claire, and thus she was returned to her soon-to-be fathers.

Dean’s pregnancy was rough. He constantly felt sick and he was on a strict diet to keep his blood pressure down. He was achy all over and his legs were always swollen. He talked to the baby all the time and played eighties rock for him. Castiel would read to him and tell him about his baby’s development every day. It was always very calming to listen to Castiel. A lot of times it put him to sleep.

Now, he was at thirty five weeks. He felt ready to pop, but he still had another three weeks before his due date. He spent almost every second of the day in bed, but today was different. Today something happened. He was laying in bed when he suddenly heard tumbling, a loud crash and a shout. The only other person in the house was Claire, so he snapped into “mamabear mode”, as Claire called it. He got out of bed and held his swollen belly as he exited the room.   
“Claire?!”

At the bottom of the stairs, Claire was sprawled out with a pile of books she had been carrying. She was holding her arm to her chest and groaning in pain.

Dean held onto the railing as he walked down the stairs as fast as possible (which was rather slow). He made it to Claire, panting with exertion.   
“Claire? What happened? Are you alright?”

Claire looked up at Dean and then showed him her wrist. It was very clearly broken with a bulge where the bone had snapped.   
“I think I broke it. I-I just fell and I tried to catch myself-“

“It’s okay, let’s get you to the hospital alright? We’ll go see Cas.” He smiled a bit and took her other hand, helping her to her feet.

“But you have to stay in bed. I’ll just call Jodi.”

Dean shook his head.   
“I’ll be fine. It’s not like I’m running a marathon. Come on to the car.” He stepped into some slippers and led Claire out to the impala. He opened the passenger door for her and got into the driver’s seat. He had to move the seat back to fit his stomach in between his body and the steering wheel. He started up the car and hummed happily at the sound of the engine. He noticed an iPod hooked up and narrowed his eyes.   
“What the hell is that thing?”

Claire chuckled through the pain in her arm.   
“It’s an iPod.” She used her good arm to turn her music on. Linkin Park immediately started blasting through the car.

“Ew.”   
That was all Dean had to say about that. He drove to the hospital and parked in the emergency lot. He started to try to get out of the car and realized he couldn’t get up. He huffed and grabbed the top of the car, hauling himself out. He wrapped an arm around Claire and led her into the ER. He signed her in and waited for someone to take them back.

As soon as Castiel saw the name on his latest chart, he ran to the waiting room. He saw both Dean and Claire sitting there and ran to his omega and daughter.   
“Dean? What are you doing out of bed?” He turned to Claire.   
“What happened to your arm?”

Claire smiled a bit up at Castiel, clearly made nervous by her surroundings.   
“I fell down the stairs.”

Castiel sighed softly and helped Dean to his feet.   
“Alright, come on back and we’ll get you fixed up, okay?” He led both of them back to a room and put Dean in a chair.   
“You stay put. You’re not supposed to be out of bed.”

Dean pouted.   
“How else was she supposed to get here? I have to be here with her.”

Castiel sighed a bit.   
“Just please be careful, okay?” He turned to Claire and gently took her hand. He looked at it and tilted his head.  
“Well, I can’t say anything without an x-ray, but I’m fairly certain that it is broken.”

Claire looked even more freaked out.  
“Actually, I’m fine. I can go home now.”

Castiel shook his head.   
“No, you’re not. You’re going to be just fine, I promise. I’ll go order the x-ray. Dean will stay with you. Keep your arm still. A nurse is going to give you some painkillers to help with the pain, Okay?”

Claire gave a small nod.  
“Okay. Thanks.”

Castiel left the room to go check on his other patients. He ordered the x-ray for Claire and went on to another room.

A nurse walked in with a chipper smile.   
“Hello, dear. I’m just going to give you some painkillers to help with your arm.” She walked over to Claire’s good arm and gently took it. She wiped the skin with an alcohol wipe before she picked up a butterfly needle.

As soon as Claire saw the needle, she yanked her arm away.   
“No needles. I’ll just be in pain, thanks.”

Dean watched and sighed.  
“Claire, you’ll feel so much better if you get the painkillers. Just look away.”

Claire shook her head.   
“No. I don’t do needles.”

Dean sighed and got up. He simply stood outside the door, knowing that Castiel would come running as soon as he saw Dean standing. Of course, he was right.

Castiel ran over to Dean.   
“What did I say literally five minutes ago?!”

Dean walked back into the room.   
“Claire says no needles.”

Castiel realized he had been manipulated and narrowed his eyes, smiling a bit at how clever Dean was.   
“Let me.” He walked over and took the nurses place.   
“Did you try to get Dean to stay in bed?”

Claire nodded and looked at Dean.   
“ ‘course I did. He refused.”

As she talked, Cas expertly inserted the needle and started the line with fluids to keep Claire hydrated.   
“Done.”

Claire looked back at her own arm.   
“How did you do that? I barely felt it.”

“Because he’s great at his job.” Dean smiled.

Castiel picked up the other syringe with a small dose of hydrocodone. The dose was incredibly small, just enough to ease the pain. He hoped that she would just need some ibuprofen for the next few days. He used the IV line to get the painkiller into her system.   
“This should help with the pain. We’re going to bring in a portable x-ray so that you don’t have to get up.”

Just as he said that, multiple people rolling in a massive machine.

“That doesn’t look portable at all.” Claire pointed out. She followed the technician’s instructions on where to place her arm as it was x-rayed. She winced each time she moved it and held it against her chest as soon as they were done. The images were sent off to the radiologist to be examined.

Dean scooted his chair all the way up to the side of the bed to be closer to Claire.

Claire looked at Dean and smiled a bit.   
“How’s little Isaac doing?”

“He’s kicking my organs right now which definitely doesn’t hurt.” He chuckled a bit.

Claire reached down with her good arm and gently rubbed Dean’s stomach.   
“Hey, you, don’t hurt your...dad? Mom? What will he call you? I know some omegas like to be called Mom but I usually think of you as a dad.”

Dean thought for a moment.   
“I haven’t really thought about that. Maybe...maybe he can call me Maddy. Like a combination of mom and dad.”

Claire giggled.   
“That sounds kind of funny, but it might work.”

Dean shrugged.   
“I don’t know. I always told myself that I’d be a dad, but now that the time has come...I think I’m okay with being Mom.”

Claire smiled and nodded.   
“You are Mama Bear, so that makes sense.”

Dean smiled at the nickname.   
“True.”

Castiel returned to the room with one of the images.   
“Well, it’s definitely broken. Luckily you only broke one of the bones. There’s the radius, and the ulna. You’ve broken your radius. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of small fragments that we can’t leave in there. The way we fix that is with a very minor surgery where we remove the fragments and put a steel plate on the bone to reaffix it together.”

Claire gulped.   
“Surgery? Is there any other option?”

Castiel shook his head.   
“It’ll be crippling for you to try to continue using your arm without the surgery. It’s so minor that we can have you ready for it in the next hour. Have you had anything to eat or drink in the last six hours?”

Claire shook her head.   
“No. I haven’t had breakfast yet.”

“Perfect. We’ll just use some general anesthesia, so you’ll be asleep for the operation. I’ll be there when you wake up. I’m going to call Sam to have him pick Dean up and take him back home.”

Dean frowned.   
“No, I need to be here. She’s about to have surgery. What if you have another patient and she has no one there when she wakes up?”

Castiel sighed.   
“Okay, fine. But I’m putting you in a cot and telling the nurses not to let you up unless you need to use the restroom.”

Dean nodded.   
“Deal.”

Claire wrapped her good arm around herself, chewing on her lip.   
“I think I’d like to have Dean here.”

Dean took Claire’s hand.   
“I’ll be right there when you wake up. Cas knows everyone here and he wouldn’t let someone he didn’t trust operate on you.”

Claire took a deep breath and nodded.   
“Okay.” Luckily, she had Dean there to talk to her for the next hour while they waited for her to go back into surgery. When the time came, Dean was put in a wheelchair and Claire was led back to an operating room. She changed into a hospital gown and laid down on the bed, her heart beating out of her chest. The nurses returned with masks and gloves and even brought Dean in, who was also in a mask.   
“I can’t do this. Is there anything else we can do? Please?”

Dean rolled closer to Claire.   
“You’re going to be just fine. Look at me.” He got Claire as a nurse snuck to the other side of her and started injecting the general anaesthesia into Claire’s IV.   
“You’re going to wake up and I’m going to be right there.”

Claire shook her head.   
“I’m not letting them put me to sleep. I…” she blinked, long and slow. “I won’t…” her eyes closed and she was out.

A nurse rolled Dean into the waiting room to wait for Claire to come back. It took an hour for the surgery to be finished. Dean was taken to a recovery room, where Claire was still sleeping. She had a temporary cast on her arm that would be replaced by a long term cast by an orthopedist.

Claire’s eyes slowly fluttered open and she looked around, her eyes landing on Dean.   
“Wha-? How did they…?”

Dean smiled.   
“Good morning. How do you feel?”

“Like I just took the worst nap ever.”

Dean chuckled a bit.   
“Okay, cyborg.”

Claire rolled her eyes. “I’m not a cyborg.”

“You have a robo-arm now.”

Claire looked at her cast, which was in a sling across her chest.   
“I guess you could say that. How are you?”

Dean shrugged.   
“I’m good. I’ve just been sitting here.” He stretched a bit.   
“God, I feel like if this baby grows anymore I’m gonna pop.”

Claire laughed softly.   
“Three more weeks. Not too much more.” She looked at Dean’s stomach.  
“You’re not ready to come out yet, are you?”

Dean felt a kick.  
“He likes your voice. He always kicks when he hears you.”

Claire smiled and turned onto her side. She reached out and placed her head on Dean’s stomach, feeling the little kicks. She felt a tug in her chest when she got the painful reminder in her head of the baby’s fate.   
“I’m excited to have a little brother.”

Dean smiled and sighed softly.   
“I’m excited to meet him. He looked really good on his last scan. He has a cleft palate, but that’s honestly the least of our worries. His brain is forming much better than expected too. We’re hoping for nice, strong lungs. He has an extra finger on his right hand too. He’s little bitty, but still within a normal range, which is great.”

Claire smiled softly and nodded.   
“Good. I’m hoping for the best.” She was still hopeful that Isaac would live a full life. She was having trouble accepting what was going to happen.

“Claire, I know we’ve talked about this a few times, but I really need you to understand what we’re up against. The good things aren’t going to outweigh the bad when it comes to how his body functions. He just isn’t built to have a long life. We’re hoping for a few weeks, but that’s all we can really expect. We really don’t know what’s going to happen. It’ll be a lot easier on you if you can learn to accept it. I know you’ll never fully be able to, because I can’t either, but knowing and trying has helped me so much.”

Claire looked down and curled up a bit.   
“I’ll try.”

Dean took Claire’s hand and squeezed it gently to help comfort her. After a few minutes of silence, they were able to start talking again. They chatted until the surgeon told them they were clear to go home. Dean and Claire were rolled out in wheelchairs to Sam’s car, a Dodge Charger. Both were helped in and taken back to the house. Claire was told to be very strict and keep Dean in bed at all times.

Castiel came home that night with takeout Chinese food. They all ate in the master bedroom while watching Kitchen Nightmares. Castiel finished his Pad Thai and moved to sit behind Dean, wrapping his arms around him and cradling his stomach protectively. He rested his chin on the omega’s shoulder and scented him.

Claire looked back at Castiel.   
“You guys are mushy.”

Dean grinned and turned his head, kissing Castiel sweetly.   
“How’s that for mushy?”

Claire stuck her tongue out.   
“Gross. Thank god I’m done eating.” She yawned.   
“I’m going to bed.”

“Goodnight!” Dean and Castiel called out as Claire left. As soon as the door closed, Castiel attacked Dean’s neck with kisses.   
“I’ve been so worried about you all day.”

Dean hummed happily and bared his neck to Castiel.   
“I’m alright, and so is Isaac. He has the hiccups.”

Castiel moved around to lay on his stomach between Dean’s legs. He rested his head on Dean’s belly and felt the little hiccups. He hummed softly and stayed there.   
“I can’t wait to hold you. You’re going to be so perfect.” He whispered.

Dean laid back on the bed and simply listened to his mate whisper to their pup. His eyebrows perked up when he felt Castiel carefully undressing him.   
“Hey, those were comfy.”

“I need to see you. You look so gorgeous like this.” He whispered, kissing Dean’s now bare stomach.

Dean scoffed.   
“I’m swollen and fat. I look awful. I’ve had to say goodbye to my abs. I miss them.”

“Oh, but look at yourself. You’re harboring another life. Right here is our pup. You’re carrying him and housing him for the next three weeks. I think that’s pretty incredible.”

“Okay, yeah, but it ain’t sexy. I saw your boner. Gross, man.”

Castiel laughed softly.   
“I can’t help it.” He gave Dean puppy dog eyes and pouted a bit.

Dean narrowed his eyes before sighing.   
“Fine, fine. Enjoy yourself. I’ll just lay here and go to sleep.”

Castiel rubbed Dean’s stomach and kissed it.   
“Sure. I can smell your slick from here, you party pooper.” He rolled Dean onto his side and spooned him from behind.   
“My beautiful omega.” He cradled Dean’s stomach in his hands as he slotted his cock against Dean’s ass. He felt the slick forming there and hummed.   
“Told you.”

“Don’t rub it in or I’ll sit on you.” Dean huffed.

Cas laughed and slowly started rutting his hips against Dean’s ass, humming into his neck.   
“Sounds like fun.” He teased. He loved these moments where they acted like an old married couple. He knew that they were sweet and genuine, which was what made these moments special. He closed his eyes as he rubbed himself against his omega’s wet hole without penetrating him. He wouldn’t dare with Dean so far along now, not after what happened to Sam and Gabriel.

Dean didn’t want to admit it right now, but he was so turned on. Having Castiel’s hands all over him always got him hot and bothered. He pushed back against Castiel and moaned softly. When he felt the other’s hand slipping down further, he grinned and bared his neck to his alpha. He moaned at the feeling of a strong hand stroking his cock. He squirmed and gasped as the pace quickened.

Castiel wrist flicked as he quickly stroked Dean’s cock. He growled and rutted faster and harder. He popped a knot and groaned.

Dean moaned as he came over Castiel’s hand, hips jerking as much as they could with the large weight above them.

Castiel came onto Dean’s back, growling as he rutted his knot against his omega’s ass. He calmed down slowly and closed his eyes.

Dean smiled and reached back, taking Castiel’s hand and squeezing it.   
“Love you.”

“I love you too.” Cas kissed the back of Dean’s neck before getting up to go get a wet washcloth. He used it to clean both of them up so that they could sleep comfortably. He got some pajama pants and slipped them onto Dean’s legs, letting the waistband settle right below Dean’s belly. He put his own pajamas on and climbed into bed, wrapping his arms around Dean and holding him against his chest. The pair was asleep within minutes, legs and arms tangled together.

Dean woke up the next morning and groaned at a tight pain in his hips. He shifted and tried to alleviate it by rolling onto his back, but then he felt like he couldn’t breathe. He rolled back onto his side.

Castiel felt Dean moving and woke up. He heard him groaning.   
“Braxton-Hicks. Your body is preparing for labor.” He explained.

Dean nodded a bit.   
“Makes sense. God, I feel like shit.”

Castiel shushed him.   
“Language. The baby is listening.”

Dean rolled his eyes.   
“Fine, then I feel like crap.”

Castiel kissed Dean’s cheek and looked at the clock. “I have work in an hour. I’m going to go get a shower. You stay put, okay?”

Dean nodded.   
“I’m not capable of getting up this morning.” He curled up on his side and closed his eyes, ready to go back to sleep.   
Nxtqa  
When Dean woke up again, he felt a similar pain in his hips. He shifted and made a face. These Braxton-Hicks contractions sucked. He got up and went to the restroom before returning to bed. Upon looking at the clock, it was an hour after Castiel had left the bed. He saw a stack of boxes with food in them and smiled. He picked up his breakfast and started eating the pancakes. He felt a strong kick and looked down.   
“I know, buddy. I’m hungry too.” He finished his breakfast and turned on the TV. He started watching food network and sipped on one of the large bottles of ice water Castiel left for him. He got through one thirty minute episode before the pain returned. He rubbed his stomach and sighed.   
“What are you doing in there?” His back ached from sleeping in a weird position last night. He decided to go take a bath to soothe his muscles. He got up and ran a warm bath with some lavender Epsom salts to help him relax. He sank into the water with a relaxed sigh. The water lapped around his stomach, easing the pain in his back. He laid back and relaxed with ease. This felt incredibly nice.

Twenty minutes passed and he felt another contraction. This couldn’t be right. He sat up and rubbed his stomach.   
“Are you trying to get out now?” He groaned as the contraction intensified.   
“Goddamnit, this isn’t supposed to be happening.” He put his hands on the side of the tub and started trying to push himself up. He made it up a few inches before he slipped back down into the water. He cursed and tried again, only to have to same results. He grabbed the side of the tub with both hands and strained to haul himself out. He fell back and panted with exertion.   
“Claire! Claire!” He called out, hoping she hadn’t left for school yet. He didn’t hear an answer. He looked around and saw his phone on the bathroom counter. He desperately reached for it, and found that he was still a good two feet away from it. He was starting to panic now. He was in labor and stuck in a bathtub with no one due to come home for another eight hours.

~~~

Claire got home late. She had gone out with friends for ice cream. When she walked in, she heard Dean upstairs, shouting her name. She dropped her bag and bolted up the stairs.   
“Dean?!” She ran into the bedroom and then the bathroom. She found Dean in an empty bathtub with a towel over his hips and legs, arms shot out to the sides as he groaned in pain.   
“Oh my god, are you in labor?!”

“Yes! Call Cas, now!”

Claire grabbed her phone and called the hospital.

“Hello, you’ve reached-

“My Dad is in labor and his mate works there it’s Castiel Novak please please put him on the phone I don’t know what to do!”

“Calm down, sweetheart, everything’s going to be fine. I’ll go get him.” The receptionist kept Claire on the phone and found Castiel walked down the hall.   
“Doctor Novak! Your daughter just called. She said that her dad is in labor.”

Castiel’s eyes widened.   
“What?! He’s not due for another month! Send an ambulance, get him here as fast as possible. Tell her to keep him calm.”

The receptionist nodded and ran back to the phone.   
“I just spoke with him. We’re sending an ambulance your way. Keep him calm and get ready to show the paramedics where he is. Don’t move him.”

“I can’t move him because he’s stuck in the bathtub!”

“We’ll get him out. Just stay calm, okay?”

Claire took a deep breath.   
“Okay, okay. Thank you.” She hung up and looked back at Dean, who was leaning back against the tub and catching his breath.

“They hurt like hell but they’re really far apart. I think I still have a good bit of time before this little sucker pops out.” He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.   
“Sorry you have to see me like this.”

“No, it’s okay. You can’t exactly help it. Can I get you anything?”

Dean smiled softly and shook his head. “I’m good...well, actually could you bring me another towel and a shirt?”

Claire nodded and handed Dean a new towel before walking to the closet and grabbed a loose t-shirt for him. She handed him the shirt and looked back when she heard sirens. She ran downstairs and led the paramedics up to the bathroom. They were able to easily lift Dean out of the tub and place him on a stretcher. Claire followed them to the ambulance and sat in the back with Dean.

By the time they got there, Dean started having another contraction. He groaned and held onto the sides of the stretcher as he was wheeled in.

Castiel came running to Dean and grabbed his hand.   
“How long has this been going on? How far apart are they? How far dilated are you? Are-“

“Hush. I’m fine. I got stuck in the bathtub this morning and Claire found me.”

“This morning? So you’ve been there all day? Did you eat?”

“Yeah, I ate my breakfast.”

“Okay, at least you got that.” He walked with Dean to labor and delivery, helping the doctors move him to a bed. Claire went to the waiting room to wait for Jodi to come pick her up. Castiel stayed right by Dean’s side, holding his hand as they waited for the obstetrician.

The obstetrician explained that this was mostly likely for the best with Dean’s blood pressure going up so much. They took another reading and found it dangerously high. Despite Dean’s protests, he was made to stay lying down in bed.

“I just need to walk around a bit, please?”

“I can’t let you do that, I’m sorry. I can’t risk your blood pressure going up.” The obstetrician said softly.   
“Your contractions are about ten minutes apart. I’m expecting that you’ll enter active labor sometime tomorrow.”

Dean nodded.   
“Okay. Thank you.”

Oh boy was she wrong. By the next night, Dean’s contractions were still only five minutes apart. The morning after that, he didn’t progress all night. He was exhausted and miserable. Castiel had to work, so he would stop by every once in a while to check on Dean. Finally, after nearly forty hours of labor, Dean’s contractions started getting closer together. Castiel had just gotten off of work and he was with Dean.

“Cas, help me stand. I can’t take it anymore, please.” Dean begged.

Castiel blinked and stared. Dean Winchester never begged. He finally agreed and took Dean’s hands, helping him to his feet.

Dean let out a sigh of relief. He put a hand on his back and started slowly pacing. Another contraction ripped through him, making him lean on the wall. His legs shifted until they were stepping apart. It felt better when his legs were spread.

Castiel rubbed Dean’s back.   
“Breathe through it. Don’t hold your breath.” He tried to soothe his omega. He hated that he was in so much pain, but he knew it would all be over soon.

Dean closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. He cried out at the next contraction, which came only minutes later.

“Dean, you need to go lay back down-“

“No! I need to stand!” Dean snapped. He felt an unbearable urge to push now. He didn’t say anything, just silently bearing down as he leaned forward against the wall.

Castiel put a hand around Dean’s waist and led him back to the bed. The omega was surprisingly compliant and laid back down upon request.   
“I’m going to check to see how far dilated you are, Okay?”

Dean gritted his teeth.   
“Shit! Okay, just do it.”

Castiel carefully inserted one gloved finger into Dean’s entrance and felt Dean’s cervix.   
“You’re almost there. You’re at about eight centimeters. This is the worst of it. Just a little more.” Another contraction started and he felt Dean pushing.   
“Are you pushing? Dean, Stop, you’re not fully dilated.”

“I-I have to!”

“You can’t. You’re going to really hurt yourself. Breathe and relax.” He took his gloves off and threw them away before moving back next to Dean, who had stopped pushing now and was desperately trying to relax.

The midwife and two nurses walked in.   
“Ready?”

Dean nodded.   
“Get him out!”

The midwife sat at a chair at the end of the bed, ready to guide Dean through the process. Once he was fully dilated, she instructed him to start pushing.

Dean held Castiel’s hand so tightly that he thought that he might crush it. He gritted his teeth together before crying out as he pushed. He felt something drop in his pelvis and he felt Isaac’s head pushing at his entrance. He panted between contractions and pushed on each one. He felt tiny amounts of movement, but it was more like two steps forward and one step back. Isaac’s head was playing peek-a-boo with the midwife. He would start to crown then slip right back in. Two hours passed and nothing was there to show for it except for Dean’s exhaustion.

“Push, Dean. Long and slow.” The midwife instructed. Finally, Isaac crowned and his head stayed there.

“Oh god, it burns!” Dean shouted.

Castiel squeezed his hand.   
“It’s called the ring of fire. It’s when the baby crowns and stretches you open-“

“Shut up! Oh my god, shut up.” He let his head fall back and pushed again, his face bright red. A monitor started going off and beeping. Dean’s blood pressure was through the roof. 200/130.

The midwife looked at Dean.   
“Keep breathing. Try to calm down. You’re almost there. Just a few more pushes.”

Castiel looked at the monitor and held Dean’s hand tightly. He moved towards the end of the bed and sat with the midwife. He got the honor of catching tiny Isaac in his arms as he slipped free from his warm home. There was silence in the room as Isaac’s mouth and nose were cleared. He finally let out a cry and squirmed in Castiel’s arms. Castiel was crying tears of joy at the arrival of his son. He didn’t even know what was happening until he heard the flatline beep on the machine. He saw Dean’s eyes rolled into the back of his head and his heart fell to his stomach.

Time stood still as he was shooed out of the room and he held his tiny son in his arms as doctors worked to resuscitate his mate. Then even his son was taken away to neonatal care. He was completely alone and all he could do was watch in horror as Dean was shocked with the defibrillator. After twenty minutes of CPR, it looked like the doctors were giving up. He growled and barged back into the room. He got onto the bed and started performing CPR himself. Tears were running down his face as he desperately tried to bring his mate back to life. He grabbed the defibrillator and charged it up to 360 joules.   
“Clear!” He shouted/sobbed as he shocked Dean. Nothing happened. He did ten more chest compressions and shocked him again. He sobbed and hung his head as he was pulled away from Dean. It was over. Dean was gone.

No. He shook his head and yanked away, running back to Dean. He charged the defibrillator up to 400 joules, as high as it could go. He shocked Dean one last time and looked at the monitor…

Beeeeeeeeeep...beep, beep, beep

Cas sobbed with relief as he listened to the beeps of the monitor that went with Dean’s heartbeat. He dropped down and hugged Dean against his chest, crying into his shoulder. He almost lost Dean for good, and he would have if he hadn’t have stepped in. He helped hook Dean up to oxygen and a medication that would regulate his blood pressure.

The other doctor in the room patted Castiel’s back.   
“Good work. You saved his life.”

“I wasn’t about to let him die.”

~~~

Dean woke up with a mask over his nose and mouth. He felt like he was dropped out of an airplane onto train tracks, where a train ran him over. He looked around and saw Castiel sitting in the chair next to bed, beaming now that he saw Dean with his eyes open.

“You’re awake.” He took Dean’s oxygen mask off.   
“Claire is here. She’s anxious to see you.”

“Did I pass out or something? I feel awful.”

Castiel looked down.   
“Your heart stopped. It took thirty minutes to resuscitate you.”

Dean frowned and looked at Castiel.   
“Are you okay?”

Castiel nodded with a smile.   
“More than okay. You’re here. Also, Isaac is doing good. He’s on a ventilator and they’re closely monitoring his heart. His lungs aren’t quite where they need to be in order for him to breathe on his own. That’s from the premature labor. Hopefully he’ll be off of it soon. They…they were able to get a good estimate on his lifespan.”

Dean was hopeful until the last sentence.   
“Oh…how bad is it?”

“They said sixmonths. It’s a lot longer than we thought we’d have, so I’m okay with that.”

“Where is he?”

“The NICU. He has to stay in an incubator until he’s ready to come out.”

“Can I see him?”

“Of course. I’ll take you to him.” He pulled the wheelchair over to the bed and picked Dean up out of the bed, gently setting him down in the wheelchair. He pulled over the IV stand and gave it to Dean to push along as Castiel pushed him down the halls. They arrived at a small room with little butterfly decorations all over it. In the middle, there was an incubator with a tiny baby in it. Isaac looked like a normal baby, but his head was not proportionally correct. It was smaller than it should have been, but not so much that he looked particularly wrong. His right hand had an extra finger, and he had a cleft palate. He had two tubes going through his mouth, one thin feeding tube and one larger one that was breathing for him. He had wires and monitors hooked up to every inch of his tiny body.

Dean put a hand on the plastic around his son, tears streaming down his face.   
“Can you open it? I want to hold him.”

Castiel sighed.   
“I can’t. He has to stay in there.”

Dean looked back at Castiel.   
“I...I can’t hold him? No, no I have to. What if something happens and I don’t get a chance to...I need to hold him. Please-please just open it.” He was losing his composure quickly.

Castiel hugged Dean and buried his head on Dean’s shoulder, letting the tears fall as the omega sobbed into his neck.   
“I know, love, I know.” He sighed.

They spent a long time sitting there and holding each other. It felt better to know they weren’t alone. Castiel showed Dean the hole in the incubator where they could reach in and hold his hand. Dean immediately reached into the incubator and held his son’s tiny hand. He gently rubbed his hand with his thumb and smiled.   
“Hi, little man.” He whispered.   
“You’re so beautiful.” He wiped his eyes. He smiled as the little boy opened his eyes and looked at Dean. He had blueberry colored eye and long, dark lashes.

Claire was led into the room and she ran over to Dean, hugging him tightly.   
“You scared me.”

Dean hugged Claire back.   
“I’m sorry. I’m here now, okay? Come on, meet your little brother.”

Claire looked over at Isaac and peered in close to see him. She smiled sadly.   
“Can I hold him?”

Dean shook his head.   
“No, I’m sorry. We can’t hold him either. I know it’s hard, but he needs to stay in here.” He held himself together and stayed strong for Claire. He let her sit beside him and wrapped an arm around her. Many would think that this would be one of the saddest moments in Dean’s life, but it was actually the happiest. He had his beautiful family, all together in one room. He had his daughter on one side and mate on the other with his son in the middle.

Everything was almost perfect.


End file.
